PROSECUTORS have abandoned their case against a woman who had been accused of killing a pensioner in Oxford.

Mother-of-four Jean Heapy, of East Hagbourne, near Didcot, was knocked to the ground in Queen Street, in the city centre, in November last year.

The 74-year-old, who banged her head and later died after going to hospital, had just been given the all-clear following treatment for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a form of cancer.

Days later, Victoria Arthur, 35, of no fixed address, was charged with her manslaughter and remanded in custody after appearing at court.

But she never entered a plea to the charge and yesterday the case against her was dropped.

A spokesman for the Crown Prosecution Service said: “We could not prove Mrs Heapy died as a result of the injuries sustained at the time of the incident.”

Mrs Heapy’s husband Peter, 80, said he was glad to be able to draw a line under the criminal investigation, which had caused his family great distress.

He said: “My wife isn’t going to come back whatever we do.

“There’s not much that I can really say.

“It has been a horrible few months and we’re glad it’s come to a conclusion.

“It would be Jean’s 75th birthday on Monday so we’re suffering all over again.”

Thames Valley Police spokesman Victoria Brandon said no-one else was wanted in connection with Mrs Heapy’s death and that officers were no longer investigating the incident.