Man accused of Saskatoon beating father to death charged with manslaughter

A Saskatoon man is now facing a charge of manslaughter in the death of Zachary Straughan.
 
The father of three was allegedly beaten into unconsciousness with a pool cue on Saturday at a bowling alley in Winkler, Man.

On Monday, he died while on life support in a Winnipeg hospital.

Police allege Straughan was beaten by a co-worker.

His family said the altercation was over an unpaid debt, worth about $16.
 
The 25-year-old Saskatoon man had been working in Manitoba and had been texting with his girlfriend, who is eight-weeks pregnant, before the violence broke out.
 
“Everything was fine and he was talking with his co-workers. I was sending him pictures of my belly,” Ashley Hague said. “And then all of the sudden, he stopped talking to me. I knew something was wrong because he never stops texting me.”
 
Justin Leslie Bird, 29, was originally charged with aggravated assault and possession of a controlled substance.

Investigators and the Crown Attorney’s office upgraded the charge to manslaughter after Straughan’s death.
 
Bird remains in custody at the Winnipeg Remand Centre and is due in court on Oct. 11.