Gardai probing the brutal attack on pensioner Tom Niland have trawled through 400 hours of video and dash-cam footage in a bid to catch his assailants.
It is understood DNA samples have been taken from the clothing and under the nails of the Sligo man and investigators are hopeful it will help to progress the case.
A source said: “It’s thought there was a struggle when three masked men first entered the house and DNA that can link the attackers to Tom and the crime scene could prove to be vital.”
The bachelor’s wallet was found around 5km away near Lough Easkey and it has also analysed in an effort to identify the heartless thugs who carried out the attack.
The 73-year-old was badly beaten by the trio who burst into his isolated home at Skreen, Co Sligo, at around 7pm on January 18.
The thugs savagely beat him inflicting serious injuries before stealing a few hundred euro.
Tom, who is on life support and was left with a smashed eye socket and broken ribs, managed to crawl from his home after they fled and flag down a passing motorist.
Cousin Michael Walsh explained on Tuesday night that Tom was still on life support and they were waiting for him to be transferred to Beaumont Hospital in Dublin for important tests.
He added: “It’s up to the hospital in Dublin to provide a slot to fit him in for tests which should take a couple of hours.
“[Staff] are on standby in Sligo to bring him up.
“They say as soon as they are notified they’ll put him into the ambulance and away he goes.
“Tom is in the same condition as he was overnight and there has been no change.
“The guards have done their work, I’ve been twice called into the superintendent’s office and met all the detectives.
Meanwhile, the 73-year-old’s close friend Fr Michael O’Hora said prayers at his bedside in Sligo University Hospital on Tuesday as he remained critically ill.
