ROCKLAND (AP) — 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 to failure to appear in court for not showing up to a previous hearing in the case.

WABI-TV (http://bit.ly/1evMHNh ) reported 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.

filed under: