Harry Saunders, 35, was due to stand trial over the manslaughter of bouncer Jose Rafael Pisani Prado at Towie star Elliott Wright’s Olivia’s La Cala restaurant on the Costa del Sol, but has absconded after being released on bail
Wright confirmed the restaurant’s closure in a statement(Image: facebook)
A British man due to face trial over the death of a doorman at former Towie star Elliott Wright’s well-known Costa del Sol restaurant has gone on the run. An arrest warrant has been issued for Harry Saunders, 35, who vanished after being released on bail during a court manslaughter investigation into an incident at Olivia’s La Cala near Fuengirola, where fellow ex-Towie cast member James Argent regularly performs.
Doorman Jose Rafael Pisani Prado died in hospital on 16 April 2023 following a brawl at the popular venue hours earlier. The Brit accused of his killing was detained in Marbella after police obtained CCTV footage from inside Elliott’s celebrity hotspot allegedly capturing him punching the bodybuilder and personal trainer.
Jose’s Chilean-born widow, 33-year-old Romina Acuna, tragically passed away in October 2023 after falling from her fifth-floor flat in Calahonda near Fuengirola. She had revealed following his death that he had phoned her half an hour before the incident, voicing concerns about the number of drunk customers in the restaurant.
The couple had married just five months earlier in a lavish Las Vegas ceremony and had been making plans to start a family and build a new life together selling sports supplements in the Canary Islands. Spanish public prosecutors confirmed today they are seeking a four-year prison sentence for the now missing Brit, whose full name is Harry James George Saunders. Court sources confirmed an arrest warrant has been issued for Saunders for failing to meet his bail conditions, with his current whereabouts described as “unknown”, making him a fugitive from justice. He has been charged with manslaughter and wounding.
A three-page pre-trial indictment released by prosecutors reads: “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 Jose suffered injuries including a subarachnoid haemorrhage and several facial fractures, and he passed away in hospital approximately 12 hours after the assault due to a traumatic brain injury caused by the early-hours incident.
Should he be found guilty, Saunders could face a four-year custodial sentence alongside a six-figure compensation payment, with prosecutors demanding he pays £200,000 (€227,000) to Mr Pisani Prado’s family.
As of this morning, it remained unclear whether a trial date has been set. Father-of-five Elliott Wright shut his restaurant in La Cala de Mijas for two days following Jose’s death, releasing a statement on his eatery’s Instagram page which read: “Our hearts are broken and we have closed the restaurant today and tomorrow out of respect. We are supporting of respect.
“Our staff and the family while awaiting news of further investigations.”
Romina Acuna paid a deeply emotional tribute to her newlywed husband, whom she described as the “love of my life” in a heartfelt social media post following their wedding. The couple posed for photographs before climbing into a white stretch limousine.
She had relocated to Mijas on the Costa del Sol in early 2021 from her previous home in Barcelona, and the pair enjoyed a holiday in Chile before tying the knot in Vegas.
Jose is thought to have worked as a doorman at Olivia’s La Cala for roughly two years before his tragic death.
In April 2023, Spanish police released footage capturing the dramatic moment they apprehended suspect Saunders.
The arrest was carried out with the support of an elite Civil Guard unit known as GAR, a rapid action group.
It subsequently emerged that the same Brit had been among six individuals detained in early February that year following a shooting at Turtle Lake near Marbella on 30 September 2022.
A 24-year-old man who was shot in the leg while fishing with friends was rushed to hospital but fortunately survived. Following that initial arrest, Saunders was granted bail by a judge, and it remains unclear if he has also been charged in connection with that separate incident.
At the start of the year, Elliott Wright announced James Argent was relocating to Spain as he revealed he was reversing an earlier decision to sell his glamorous restaurant, having originally planned to return to the UK to be closer to his two eldest children.
He shared the news with followers in a social media post at the end of January, announcing: “So, 2026 is here, and many of you thought I’d have sold Olivia’s La Cala by now.
“After receiving the auction bids on 5th December and taking time to properly analyse them, speak with prospective buyers, and review the conditions attached, I’ve decided to keep Olivia’s.
“Some of the bids simply weren’t strong enough, and the ones that were came with conditions that made selling pointless. I always said I’d only sell if the right price and right terms were met – and they weren’t.
“So with that… I’m staying. Olivia’s is staying. And we’re planning a bigger and better 2026 season.
“We reopen on Valentine’s Day – 14th February. All our summer parties are booked and ready
“ARG is loving life – not only doing his legendary Thursday summer nights, but also moving to Spain and taking on Sunday Lunches too
“Plenty of exciting things ahead… so let’s roll on 2026, true Olivia’s La Cala style.”
