A WISBECH man was freed today after a murder charge against him was sensationally dropped. Arlandas Ubartas, 44, of Milner Road, Wisbech, was released after the Crown Prosecution Service discontinued the case against him at Cambridge Crown Court.

“Proceedings of murder of Jolante Dumciuviene against Arlandas Ubartas have today been discontinued,” said his solicitor John Clarke, of Metcalfe, Copeman and Pettefar.

“We as his solicitors received notification from the CPS. Mr Ubartas was released on bail on July 25 with the prosecution inextricably not opposing the application.

“He has therefore been in custody from the date of his arrest, May 10 until July 25- a total of 76 days.

“The prosecution never served on us any substantive evidence to support even on a prima fascia basis the charge and it appears when faced with filing such evidence on July 23, which they failed to do, they first suggested an unopposed bail application and then today dropped the charge.”

Mr Clarke added; “We read in the media that two others had been arrested in connection with the murder and bailed but the CPS have refused to give us any further information about that or whether there is any connection between their arrests and our client’s release.”

Mr Clarke said his client “is now a free man with no charge or suspicion against him of any crime, including the murder of this poor lady.”

He said Mr Ubartas would be “thrilled” to be released without charge but he had lost his job as a result of the police inquiry. His legal advisers would now been seeking counsel’s opinion on whether he could lodge a claim for damages.

Jolante Dumciuviene’s murdered body was found by police officers at her home in Milner Road, Wisbech, after concerns were raised about the whereabouts of the 38-year-old.

Her neighbours said they knew little about the Lithuanian but added there had been a “large party” at her home a few days before her murder.

One neighbour described her as “cheerful and she always had a smile on her face and was very friendly”.

A post mortem confirmed she died as a result of injuries she sustained in an assault.