The murder charge against a Dingle man was dropped today in the Isle of Man and replaced by a charge of manslaughter.
At a brief hearing in Douglas, the prosecution said it wished to amend the charge against Mr Richard Benedict (Benny) Moore (78) to manslaughter.
Mr Moore was first charged with murder at the end of October.
This followed the death of a woman, Ms Maureen Fox, with whom he had been drinking in his hotel. Ms Fox accompanied him to his room, where she became sick. He called an ambulance, but she died on her way to hospital. Mr Moore was arrested and charged with her murder the next morning.
He was held in custody for almost two months, but in December he was granted bail and permitted to stay in a hostel on a number of conditions, including that he observe a curfew and sign on regularly in the local police station. The case has been remanded since.