A St. John’s man has been charged with manslaughter in connection with a homicide in the city last year.

53-year-old Desmond Downey was charged following the death of a 71-year-old man on March 3, 2022.

Police responded to a sudden death at a home in the east end of the city just before 8:00 p.m.

Their investigation determined that the victim had been involved in some kind of altercation in the area of Wishingwell Road several hours earlier.

The subsequent report from the chief medical examiner ruled that the death was a homicide, leading to the single charge of manslaughter against Downey.

Manslaughter is a step below second-degree murder, and suggests he caused the death but didn’t intend to.

Downey made a brief first appearance in provincial court this morning, where he told the court he’s in the process of retaining private counsel.

He’s due back in court on July 25.