By Gerrard Couzens PUBLISHED: 13:31 EST, 4 March 2013 | UPDATED: 04:42 EST, 5 March 2013 A British dad-of-two went on trial in Spain today over the holiday drowning of an Irishman 16 years ago. Kitchen fitter Darren Sapstead, from Chelsmford, Essex, faced a jury accused of pushing Garry Walton to his death during a pleasure boat booze cruise in November 1996. Garry, 21, from Tooreneena near Dungarvan, County Waterford, died after falling from a boat called Albatros off the Tenerife resort of Playa de Las Americas in an incident originally written off by Spanish police as an accident.
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Darren Sapstead denies pushing Garry Walton from boat off Tenerife coast
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Trial taken 17 years to reach court after originally being treated as accident
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Mr Walton's father Garry said family been treated like 'dirt' by Spanish authorities and only found out about trial by chance
The state prosecutor said Garry, who was enjoying his first sunshine holiday, was in a 'serious state of ethylic intoxication' after an afternoon of drinking games on board @placeholder and was unable to react to Mr Sapstead's 'sudden and surprise attack.'