A man who was charged with murdering County Down man Ryan James McNab has pleaded guilty to his manslaughter.
Mr McNab, who was 31 and from Bangor, died after an assault in Rathcoole, County Antrim, in October 2022.
Marc Doak, 27, from Belfast’s Shore Road, was initially arraigned last April on a charge of murder, which he denied.
At Belfast Crown Court on Thursday, a defence barrister asked for her client to the re-arraigned.
When he was asked: “Do you plead guilty or not guilty?”, Doak replied: “Not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter.”
A prosecuting barrister told the court his manslaughter plea was “acceptable to the Crown”.
Doak was arrested in the aftermath of a fatal incident at his former home at Barna Square in Rathcoole.
No details regarding the incident emerged during Thursday’s hearing but a prior court heard that Doak told police he had choked Mr McNab after being hit with a glass bottle.
Following the re-arraignment, the judge said he would review the case on 2 May.
The defence barrister confirmed her client was in custody and that no application for bail was being made.
