British man facing trial over bouncer death at TOWIE star's Costa del Sol restaurant has gone missing

A British man facing trial over the death of a bouncer at former TOWIE star Elliott Wright’s Costa del Sol restaurant has gone on the run.

An arrest warrant has been issued for the 35-year-old man after he vanished while on bail during a manslaughter investigation into the incident at Olivia’s La Cala, near Fuengirola.

Doorman Jose Rafael Pisani Prado died in hospital on 16 April 2023 following a tussle at the popular eatery hours earlier. Police arrested Saunders in Marbella after obtaining CCTV footage from inside the venue which allegedly showed him punching the bodybuilder and personal trainer.

Spanish public prosecutors confirmed today they are seeking a four-year prison sentence for the man, who has been indicted on charges of manslaughter and wounding. Court sources confirmed his whereabouts is currently "unknown" and he is considered a fugitive from justice.

A three-page pre-trial indictment released by prosecutors states: “In the context of a fight and while attempting to be restrained by the injured party, who was carrying out his work as security personnel at the establishment, the accused broke free from him and, with the intention of undermining his physical wellbeing and with disregard for the possible consequences, punched him hard in the face which led to his victim falling backwards and hitting his head on the ground.”

The Venezuelan-born victim suffered a subarachnoid haemorrhage and several facial fractures, dying in hospital around 12 hours later from a traumatic brain injury.

Alongside the proposed four-year prison sentence, prosecutors are demanding 227,000 euros compensation to Pisani Prado’s loved ones. It was not immediately clear if a trial date had already been set.

The incident is plagued by further tragedy. Jose’s Chilean-born widow, 33-year-old Romina Acuna, died in October 2023 after falling from her fifth-floor home in Calahonda. Following her husband's death, she had revealed that he called her just half an hour before the incident to express concern over the number of drunken customers in the restaurant. The couple had married just five months prior in Las Vegas.

Elliott Wright, a father-of-five, closed his restaurant in the resort of La Cala de Mijas for two days following the death out of respect for the family.

Footage released by Spanish police in April 2023 showed the dramatic moment the accused man was taken into custody with the assistance of an elite Guardia Civil rapid action unit (GAR).

It later emerged that the man had previously been one of six people arrested in February 2023 regarding a separate shooting at Turtle Lake near Marbella in September 2022, where a 24-year-old fisherman was shot in the leg.

At the start of this year, Elliott Wright announced he was keeping the restaurant rather than selling it as previously planned, confirming that fellow former TOWIE cast member James 'Arg' Argent would be returning to perform regularly for the 2026 season.