Two people were taken into custody and charged over the incident earlier this week.

They were refused bail in the Inverell Local and Children’s Courts yesterday.

Both are to return to court on August 19.

Police are still searching for a third person in relation to the break-in.

The Leader was told the victim, who has not been named, had been home alone in Vivian St, Inverell, on Thursday, March 11.

Police said three intruders, at least one of whom was a juvenile, kicked in the rear door of the house.

When the victim went into the hall to investigate he was punched in the face and fell to the floor.

Police said the offenders fled a short time later.

The victim experienced headaches, dizziness and blurred vision in the three months following the attack.

On June 3 visitors discovered him collapsed on the floor of his home.

He was taken to Inverell Hospital for treatment and then transferred to Newcastle’s John Hunter

Hospital.

The elderly victim returned home on July 7.

Two weeks later, on July 21, he died.

Aaron Collins, 26, of Inverell, is one of two people charged in relation to the attack this week.

Collins was arrested at 12.45pm on Thursday when police boarded a CountryLink train at

Murrurundi.

He has been charged with aggravated break and enter with intent to commit an indictable offence and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

A 17-year-old youth – who cannot be named as he is a juvenile – was arrested and charged after police stopped a car in Brae St, Inverell, at 6pm on Thursday.

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The youth has been charged with aggravated break and enter with intent to commit larceny.

Inverell Court registrar Wayne Fleming said the pair had been charged with an “aggravated” offence because they had both known someone was at home when they broke in.

Police have not directly linked the man’s death to the break-in at this stage.

Police media said yesterday the home invasion “may have resulted” in the pensioner’s death.