A British man charged with the manslaughter of a doorman at a Costa del Sol restaurant owned by former TOWIE star Elliott Wright has gone on the run. Harry Saunders, 35, vanished after being released on bail, prompting a Spanish arrest warrant. The incident occurred at Olivia's La Cala near Fuengirola, where fellow ex-TOWIE cast member James Argent regularly performs.
Doorman Jose Rafael Pisani Prado, 33, died in hospital on 16 April 2023 after a brawl at the venue hours earlier. CCTV footage allegedly captured Saunders punching the bodybuilder, causing him to fall and hit his head. Jose suffered a subarachnoid haemorrhage and facial fractures, dying from a traumatic brain injury. His widow, Romina Acuna, died in October 2023 after falling from her fifth-floor flat; the couple had married five months before the incident.
Spanish prosecutors are seeking a four-year prison sentence for Saunders, who has been charged with manslaughter and wounding. They also demand he pays £200,000 (€227,000) compensation to Jose's family. The indictment states Saunders broke free from the doorman and punched him hard in the face, disregarding the consequences. Saunders' current whereabouts are unknown, making him a fugitive.
Elliott Wright closed the restaurant for two days after Jose's death, posting a tribute on Instagram. It also emerged that Saunders was among six individuals detained in February 2023 over a shooting at Turtle Lake near Marbella in September 2022, where a man was shot in the leg but survived. Saunders was granted bail in that case, and it is unclear if he has been charged.
