A man wanted by the police following the death of Prasanna 'Nick' Arulchelvam in a Bushey car park has admitted his manslaughter.

Michael McInerney, of no fixed address, was arrested in Corby in December over the death of Prasanna 'Nick' Arulchelvam following a year-long manhunt.

Mr Arulchelvam, 34, died on June 6, 2013, in St Mary's Hospital 11 days after being ejected from a van speeding away from the car-park of the Costco store in Hartspring Lane.

The Watford dad had jumped into the van after thieves broke into his vehicle to steal cigarettes he had bought from the store.

Today at Luton Crown Court, McInerney, 33, appeared via a video link from Woodhill Prison, Milton Keynes.

He pleaded not guilty to murder and not guilty to conspiracy to rob.

But he pleaded guilty to alternative charges of manslaughter and conspiracy to steal, despite applying to have the charges against him dropped earlier this month.

The pleas were accepted by John Price QC, for the prosecution.

Judge Richard Foster remanded McInerney in custody. No date was fixed for a sentence, but it is likely to be held in three or four weeks.

In October, cousins Patrick and James O'Driscoll were jailed for ten-and-a-half years and seven-and-a-half years after pleading guilty to the manslaughter of Mr Aruchelvam.

A fresh police appeal to locate McInerney, who was said to have been in the van driven by Patrick O’Driscoll, was launched the day after the cousins were jailed.

Mr Aruchelvam came to England from Sri Lanka in 1998.

He worked for Tesco before he opened his own shop in Basingstoke, Hampshire, with his younger brother Uday.

They opened another shop in Sittingbourne, Kent, and were looking at opening a third in Southampton.

Four years ago he married Shayanthy, 30, and the pair lived in Grandfield Avenue, Watford, with their young son.

Mr Arulchelvam’s wife said after the O’Driscoll cousins were sentenced: "It seems unfair the men that did this to my husband will still have a future with their own families when they get out of prison.

"Justice will not heal our wounds, nor can it help."