The terror charges against Luigi Mangione have been thrown out by a New York judge, marking a victory for his defence team.

Two of the most serious charges filed against Mr Mangione over the killing of Brian Thompson, a health insurance executive, were dismissed by Judge Gregory Carro after he found the state had not provided sufficient evidence to justify them.

Under New York law, state prosecutors were only able to bring a first degree murder charge against the 27-year-old on the basis the alleged crime was committed as an act of terrorism.

The judge said that while the prosecution “presented sufficient evidence that the defendant murdered Brian Thompson in a premeditated and calculated execution. That does not mean, however, that the defendant did so with terroristic intent”.

“While there is no doubt that the crime at issue here is not ordinary ‘street crime,’ it does not follow that all non-street crimes were meant to be included within the reach of the terrorism statute,” Judge Carro wrote in his decision.