A man charged with manslaughter in relation to the death of 27-year-old Ryan Gatzke in 2019 has elected to be tried by judge alone in Battleford Court of Queen’s Bench.
Charles Michael Lewis MacLean, 23, had an appearance scheduled in North Battleford Provincial Court on May 12. On that day, defence and the Crown consented to go to trial without a preliminary hearing.
MacLean is also charged with break and enter with intent to commit an indictable offence, and a firearms offence.
Isaac Melko, 22, of North Battleford, and Jacob Joseph Ballantyne, 25, of Edam, and a young offender are also charged.
Melko, Ballantyne and the young offender - who can’t be named in accordance with the Youth Criminal Justice Act - were charged with second-degree murder, break and enter with intent to commit an indictable offence, disguise with intent, carry a weapon for the purpose of committing an offence, possession of a firearm without a license, and unauthorized possession of a firearm.
Police found a badly injured Gatzke in a house in Battleford in October 2019. He was taken to the North Battleford hospital where he was declared deceased.
No trial date has been set yet.
