A FORMER Nailsea man has been found guilty of manslaughter by a jury at Bristol Crown Court today (Thurs).

It took the 12 men and women more than a day to reach the unanimous verdict against Stephen Snook, now of Load Lane, Bridgwater.

Snook was charged and put on trial for manslaughter following the death of Alec Farley outside The Queens Head pub in High Street on June 23, the evening after England’s World Cup win over Slovenia.

During his trial, which began on May 9, the 46-year-old denied punching Mr Farley during the incident, saying he pushed him, causing him to accidentally fall backwards down some steps.

However, some witnesses said they saw Snook throw a punch or a ‘jab’ before Mr Farley, aged 50, hit his head on paving slabs, causing him to fracture his skull.

Mr Farly, who was known as Big Al to many people, died in the early hours of the following day.

Following today’s verdict, Snook has been released on bail and will return to court on June 20 to be sentenced.

* For a full report from the trial follow the link at the top right of this story.