Update 4.45pm: The jurors in the murder trial of an Offaly man have retired to consider one of three verdicts open to them.

Ross Allen of Kilmonaghan Lodge in Clara has pleaded not guilty to murdering Christy Daly, whose body was found in a ditch in January 2014.

Earlier:

The jurors in the trial of an Offaly man accused of murder have been told they can consider the lesser charge of manslaughter.

Ross Allen of Kilmonaghan Lodge in Clara is accused of playing a part in the murder of Christy Daly in January 2014.

Christy Daly’s body was found in a drain near his home outside Clara. He had been beaten and shot several times.

A burnt out car was found at a nearby quarry a few days beforehand. It contained 9mm bullets similar to some spent bullets found at the scene.

His caravan and two cars were also burnt out near where his body was discovered.

Ross Allen is not accused of pulling the trigger but it is the prosecution case that he played a role in getting two Dublin assassins involved after a bag containing €30k worth of drugs went missing.

He allegedly left it in a laneway near Mr Daly’s caravan and suspected him of stealing it when he returned to retrieve it on December 29, 2013.

The jurors will soon begin their deliberations and they have been told they have three options open to them: guilty of murder, not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter or not guilty.

Last week, the DPP dropped the murder charge against Matthew Gralton of Mount Prospect in Co. Roscommon.