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Man Charged In Fatal Portsmouth Bar Beating Held On $250,000 Bail

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. (CBS) - A New Hampshire man charged in the weekend beating of another man who later died was ordered held on $250,000 bail Wednesday.

Zachary O'Neil, 24, of Dover, pleaded not guilty at his arraignment on a first-degree assault charge in Portsmouth District Court.

Zachary O'Neil
Zachary O'Neil. (Photo courtesy: Portsmouth Police)

He was arrested Tuesday in the death of 24-year-old Joshua Krantz of Dover.

Krantz was at The Page, a bar and restaurant in Portsmouth, early Saturday morning when he was attacked from behind on the dance floor.

Joshua Krantz
Joshua Krantz. (Credit: Portsmouth Police)

Prosecutors say Krantz had accidentally spilled a drink on O'Neil earlier in the night and then O'Neil waited until closing time to strike because he knew he would be thrown out of the club.

Krantz was hit from behind and knocked down to the ground.

Investigators say O'Neil continued to punch Krantz while he was down.

The bar owner Ted Mountzuris told WBZ-TV Krantz refused medical attention and there was no sign of blood or bruises after the incident.

Police were not called to the bar.

Court documents say Krantz went home after the attack. His roommates later found him in bed, covered in vomit. They called 911 and authorities later determined he was dead with a fractured skull.

Investigators say after the attack, but before O'Neil learned Krantz had died, he bragged to friends about beating up the guy who spilled a drink on him, and when interviewed by police said something like 'I don't see what the big deal is...it was just a bar fight.'

O'Neil was already out on bail for another fight in downtown Portsmouth last month.

The charges against him could be upgraded, once the medical examiner's report is finished.

WBZ-TV's Michael Rosenfield contributed to this report.

You can follow him on Twitter @michaelwbz4.

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