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Todd Munter has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of a Sydney man and will be sentenced in March.
A man has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of a Sydney homeowner he wrongly accused of ignoring water restrictions.
Todd Munter, 37, of Caringbah in Sydney's south, is accused of punching 66-year-old Ken Proctor in the face as he was watering his lawn at Sylvania last October, at a time when he was legally entitled to do so.
Mr Proctor allegedly turned the hose on Munter, after he called him a "stupid old goat" for disregarding water restrictions, prompting a physical altercation.
Munter is accused of punching him, pushing him to the ground and kicking him.
In the NSW Supreme Court on Monday, Justice Roderick Howie was told Mr Proctor died after suffering a heart attack as a result of the altercation.
Munter pleaded not guilty to the charge of murder but guilty to manslaughter.
Asked by the judge why Munter was not pleading guilty to murder, crown prosecutor Terry Thorpe explained that Mr Proctor's death was the result of a heart attack.
"Your Honour, there was a verbal argument on the street, on the nature strip... there was a blow struck to the deceased by the offender which precipitated a heart attack," Mr Thorpe told the court.
Munter's conditional bail has been extended until March 6, when the court will hear sentencing submissions.
Justice Howie told Munter he was only being granted bail "because the crown doesn't oppose it".
Munter declined to talk to reporters outside court.
- AAP