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Man cleared of Monaghan teenager's manslaughter

Jason McGovern died following an assault in Omagh on New Year's Eve 2012
Jason McGovern died following an assault in Omagh on New Year's Eve 2012

A man who faced three trials accused of the unlawful killing of a Co Monaghan teenager has been formally acquitted of his manslaughter.

Mark Donnelly, 23, from Greencastle Road in Omagh, Co Tyrone, was cleared of the 2012 New Year's Eve manslaughter charge after the prosecution offered no evidence against him.

Jason McGovern, from Tydavnet, was found dead in a friend's house on 1 January 2013 after an assault outside a nightclub in Omagh.

A post-mortem examination revealed the 19-year-old had a fractured skull and died from resulting bleeding on the brain.

During an earlier trial, Donnelly maintained he was innocent who was wrongly identified by a flawed witness.

Donnelly was convicted on a separate charge of affray at a previous trial and will be sentenced in September.