A pensioner allegedly murdered in Ireland had been due to stand trial this week accused of trying to smuggle almost £6m of heroin and cocaine into the UK in a lorry-load of Belgian chocolates.

Canterbury Crown Court was told of trucker Robert Wilkin's death during a brief hearing yesterday in which the prosecution formally requested that the case against him be discontinued.

Details of the 66-year-old Irish national's death were limited, with prosecutor Bridget Todd simply telling Judge Simon Taylor KC that he had been "murdered". A statement confirming this was also served on the court by the National Crime Agency.

However, it was previously reported that a body believed to be that of Mr Wilkin had been found in the waters of the Slieve League cliffs tourist attraction in County Donegal on July 3.

Irish authorities were then said to be liaising with the NCA to help identify the body, as Mr Wilkin's fingerprints and DNA would have been stored on its database following his arrest for alleged drug-smuggling.

A 38-year-old man and a 21-year-old woman from Co. Donegal have since been charged with his murder, alleged to have occurred on June 25.

Mr Wilkin had been accused of attempting to import Class A drugs worth £5.7m after 63kg of heroin and 32kg of cocaine were found in brown-taped packages in his Polish-registered lorry when it was stopped at the Channel Tunnel terminal in Coquelles on August 12, 2021.

The illicit cargo was discovered hidden among his legitimate load of two pallets of chocolates destined for delivery in Maidstone, Kent.

Mr Wilkin was living in Tilbury, Essex, at the time of his arrest and was also known by the name of Robin Wilkin.

He was originally expected to go on trial in April this year but the case was subsequently delayed and rescheduled to get underway during a two-week period starting on Monday this week.

Following the hearing, A National Crime Agency spokesman said: “Following confirmation that a man found dead in July 2023 in Co Donegal, Ireland has been identified as Robert Wilkin, court proceedings in relation to the National Crime Agency investigation have now been discontinued.”