Manslaughter charge dropped in Calgary Christmas Day killing

The manslaughter charge hasbeen dropped against a Calgary man who was accused of fatally stabbing his friendon Christmas Day.

Morris Stern, 56, was accused of killing Mark Maurice Mitchell on Dec. 25, 2016, but prosecutor Matthew Block stayed the charge on Tuesday.

Stern's lawyer said she was prepared to argue her client acted in self-defence.

"Mr. Stern has been adamant throughout that he acted in self-defence and he is relieved by the Crown's decision to stay the charge against him," said Stern's lawyer Kelsey Sitar.

• Christmas Day manslaughter suspect drank with neighbour before stabbing him, police say

Katherine Thompson, a spokesperson for Alberta Justice, said the charges were stayed because as the investigation continued the Crown prosecutor determined the evidence did not satisfy the standard of "reasonable likelihood of conviction."

Police previously said the two men had beendrinking together at theirrooming house-type complexin the southeast community of Forest Heights.

Stern later called 911 around 6:30 p.m. Mitchell was found stabbed in the torso and was taken to hospital, where he died.

Stern was co-operative with investigators, according to CPS, who said the two men had known each other for a couple of months.

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