AN ANDOVER man has admitted the manslaughter of a Tesco employee who was killed in an attack outside the store he worked at earlier this summer.

Shane Richard Donovan assaulted John William Carroll outside the Tesco Extra store on River Way on July 29.

Mr Carroll was taken to hospital where his injuries were described as "life-changing at best, life-threatening at worst".

Appearing before Winchester Crown Court on Thursday (October 7), Donovan pleaded guilty to a charge of manslaughter amounting to the "unlawful killing" of Mr Carroll.

The case had previously been adjourned while a psychiatric report was carried out to assess Donovan's fitness to plea.

Nick Tucker, defending, requested that the case once again be adjourned ahead of sentencing, while a further assessment and report be produced.

He told the court: "We have a report from Dr O'Shea which says there may be a case for a hospital order or similar. For that to happen, there needs to be a further assessment."

Addressing the defendant, Judge Susan Evans QC said: "Shane Donovan, I am going to have to adjourn this case for a further report from a doctor, in the hope you can be transferred to a psychiatric unit to be assessed by them."

A date is yet to be set for sentencing, but he will next appear before the same court on November 4 for an update.

Donovan remains in custody.

In a tribute statement released at the time, Mr Carroll's family described him as a "well-loved man to all who knew him".

This is a breaking news story. More to follow.