ROCKLAND — A former Maine State Prison inmate accused of killing a fellow prisoner who used a wheelchair has pleaded no contest to an aggravated assault charge.

John Thibeault had faced a manslaughter charge in the April 2009 death of 64-year-old Sheldon Weinstein. The cause of death was ruled blunt force trauma.

The 34-year-old Thibeault pleaded no contest to the lesser charge Thursday in Knox County Superior Court.

He also pleaded no contest to failure to appear in court for not showing up to a previous hearing in the case.

WABI-TV reports that he was sentenced to three months on the failure to appear charge and will be sentenced at a future date on the assault charge.

Thibeault was in prison for robbery in 2009 when Weinstein was killed.

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