A murder charge faced by a man after an incident in New Brighton has now been replaced by the lesser charge of manslaughter.

Zac Matthew Wells died nine days after being attacked at about 3.45am on Boxing Day last year after leaving Evo’s Loft night club.

29-year-old Christopher Cousins, of Dundee Grove, Wallasey, had been accused of his murder but when he re-appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday Judge David Aubrey, QC heard that that charge is now not being pursued.

He appeared via video link from prison and in the dock were two other men and a woman making their first appearance on the same manslaughter charge that Cousins now faces.

Cousins; Daniel Gardner, 19, of Comely Bank Road, Egremont, Wallasey; Naomi Ogden, 27, of Old Chester Road, Tranmere and a 16-year-old boy from Eastham all pleaded not guilty to unlawful killing.

Cousins was further remanded in custody and the other three are on bail. Their trial, expected to last two to three weeks, has been fixed to begin in July 3.

The court heard on an earlier occasion that a post mortem examination revealed that the victim had died following “a blow to the back of the head.”