Drugs charges brought against murdered Belfast man John George are to be formally withdrawn, it was announced in court on Wednesday.
The 37-year-old faced prosecution over the seizure of £30,000 worth of cannabis from a taxi he was stopped in.
But a judge at Belfast Magistrates’ Court agreed to end the case against him following confirmation of his death in Spain.
Mr George was reported missing in December after failing to return home from a holiday in Alicante.
A murder investigation was launched after his body was discovered earlier this month.
Autopsy reports have now established that the father-of-two was stabbed and then shot, according to a lawyer representing the family.
A 32-year-old man from the Czech Republic has already appeared in a Spanish court charged with his murder.
Mr George was on bail charged with possessing Class B drugs with intent to supply at the time of his death.
He had been a passenger in a taxi stopped by police on the Lisburn Road in south Belfast back in April 2023, a previous court heard.
Searches of the vehicle led to the discovery of vacuum packed consignments of cannabis in the boot area.
The haul had a potential street value of £30,000.
Police alleged that Mr George was connected to a wider network involved in an illegal trade across the Greater Belfast area.
But at that stage defence representatives argued he merely acted as a courier to service his own personal addiction.
The case against Mr George and two Chinese nationals charged as part of the same investigation was due to progress to trial sometime later this year.
However, in court a Crown lawyer said the defendant John George was “the unfortunate deceased”.
District Judge Steven Keown confirmed: “As he has passed away the charges are withdrawn.”
Following the brief hearing defence solicitor Mark Austin said: “The case (ended) because Mr George was sadly found dead in Spain.”