'He didn't just take one life': Girlfriend of man killed over $16 tab hoping for guilty plea, long sentence

Ashley Hague says her newborn daughter looks just like the dad she will never meet.

Hague's boyfriend, Zachary Straughan, died last September after a fight broke out at a bowling alley in the southern Manitoba city of Winkler.

At the time she was pregnant. Her child was born three weeks ago.

The man accused of killing him, 29-year-old Justin Bird, was scheduled to make a plea this week to the manslaughter charge relating to Straughan's death, but he did not appear in court Thursday.

Bird has been remanded until June 1, when a plea is expected.

'He ruined a lot of lives'

Hauge says she hopes that plea is guilty.

"He basically left three kids with no dad and another kid now with no dad," Hauge said.

"He didn't just take one life. He ruined a lot of lives in the meantime."

Straughan lived in Saskatoon, but travelled to Winkler to work at a concrete company. He had three kids from a previous marriage, but according to Hague was set on building a new life with her and her then-unborn daughter.

He never made it home from his final work trip.

Fight was over $16 bar tab

At the time, Winkler police confirmed Straughan was beaten with a pool cue and that he died after the fight broke out over "a small unpaid bill."

Hauge says the fight with Bird, who was a co-worker, was over a $16 bar tab.

She says while the charge was manslaughter and not second-degree murder, she is hoping for a harsher sentence.

"It's doubtful that they will get 10 years, but I at least hope that he gets a little bit of time to realize that $16 isn't worth taking somebody's life," she said.

Bird will be back in court later this fall for sentencing.