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The British soldier arrested after a prostitute fell to her death as they had ‘strange, extravagant’ sex on a balcony is a convicted rapist on the run from police, it has been claimed.   

Reece Vella, from Worcester, was arrested on Sunday afternoon after bar girl Wannipa Janhuathon, 26, fell to her death in the early hours of Saturday in Pattaya,Thailand.

Reece’s family said they were ‘extremely upset’ following his arrest in Thailand, saying he had left Britain months earlier after suffering from PTSD. 

Arrested British tourist Reece Vella served as a private in the Royal Logistics Corps, headquartered at Deepcut Barracks in Surrey, until he left nearly five years ago

Vella has been arrested after a prostitute fell five floors to her death as they had ‘very strange, extravagant sex’ on a balcony at a Thai hotel

The family were concerned for his health, revealing the 25-year-old had not had anything to eat or drink since he was taken into custody.

The former soldier, who followed his two older brothers into the military, quit the army after suffering from PTSD.   

Vella served as a private in the Royal Logistics Corps, headquartered at Deepcut Barracks in Surrey, until he left nearly five years ago.  During his service, his brother Andrayoss claimed he was one of the top 100 shots in the British Army.

His brother said after leaving the army, he suffered with depression and ‘fell into the wrong crowd’, serving a stint in prison.

But it has transpired this stretch was for the rape of a teenage girl he was convicted of in 2012.    

Vella was jailed for almost five years after he admitted raping the girl in Worcester having punched her twice in the face and hit her with a bin lid, according to The Mirror.  

The paper claims he was being hunted by police in the UK.  

Reece was briefly allowed to make contact with his family on Monday and, according to Andrayoss, said he was being asked for £12,000 to ensure he is given food and water.

Reece also claimed he did not steal a motorcycle, as the police claimed, but that he had hired it and was due to return it on the day he was arrested.

Andrayoss said: ‘I was able to speak to him very briefly. He obviously very stressed. The authorities are going to transfer him to the city’s main jail soon. 

‘When you are in the military you have a family around you to support you, and when he left he fell into the wrong crowd. He was exploited really.’

He also said his brother had struggled with drugs in the past and had served a stint in prison.  

‘But he had turned his life around,’ he added. ‘He was going to Thailand to make a fresh start.’

The prostitute suffered severe head injuries and multiple fractures after falling naked along with a half-empty packet of sex drugs from an apartment in the notorious tourist resort.

Police searched the empty room – finding clothes and used condoms – then began a manhunt for the Briton amid suspicions that he had fled the scene. 

Vella, from Birmingham, West Midlands, was arrested yesterday afternoon at the nearby Route CC Roadhouse bar and was filmed in possession of two mobile phones – one of which police claim was Wannipa’s handset. 

Vella, from Birmingham, West Midlands, was arrested yesterday (pictured) afternoon at the nearby Route CC Roadhouse bar. The former soldier, who followed his two older brothers into the military, quit the army after suffering from PTSD

He moved from the semi-detached family home in Worcester to Thailand to start a new life four months ago. 

Vella’s brother Andrayoss said his family had been devastated by the news ans were sure he was innocent.

‘We are in pieces. Extremely upset. My gran is terrified, mum has been crying and dad can’t bring himself to talk about it.

‘He was in the military for a while. All three of us were. He did service for his country.

‘When he left he had some mental health issues and so he fell in with the wrong crowd here in England. He got into a bit of trouble.

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‘He didn’t have anything to do and people were talking in his ear when he was just sat around.

‘Reece decided to move to Thailand to start a new life. He’s not a bad character, he just made some mistakes.

‘He was a great, loving guy to have around in our family. We are very close and he would take my son to play in the park.

‘He wanted to get away from here. He was going to train in Muay Thai and sort his head out.

Reece flew to Thailand for a new start four months ago, they said. His family rarely heard from him.  

In custody: Vella, 25, is interviewed by Pattaya Police Chief Apichai Krobpetch, far right, after the incident on Saturday morning

‘It was a horrible shock when we were told he had been arrested.

‘It was an accident. We know it was. People said he ran away after the crime but we don’t know anything about that.

‘We feel really sorry for the girl and her family. What has happened is horrible.

‘What we are going through is horrible too. We face losing Reece. That’s something that could happen. 

‘We haven’t been able to speak to him yet, but we have been told he has not had any food or water since he was arrested. He is starving and we have been asked for money to make sure he is fed. It’s awful.’

The bar girl, also known by the nickname Joy (pictured), had moved from her home town in Sakon Nakhon province, and was working at Sky Bar in the city’s bustling Soi 6 street which is lined with hundreds of prostitutes working in bars and massage parlours

In footage from the arrest, the tourist – who arrived in Thailand between three and four months ago – is heard asking to be un-cuffed before laughing as he says: ‘Can I have a cigarette now?’.

He later admitted to police that he had taken the prostitute back to his rented room and ‘had sex in the bedroom then on the balcony before she fell’. 

The prostitute suffered severe head injuries and multiple fractures after falling naked along with a half-empty packet of sex drugs from an apartment in the notorious tourist resort. Paramedics arrived and performed CPR on Wannipa – who was still alive – but she was later pronounced dead in hospital

He then said he was ‘distraught’ and returned to a different hotel.

Police Lieutenant Narong Chantra, deputy head of investigations at Pattaya Police, said Vella had been arrested on suspicion of ‘negligence causing others to die’ and fled the scene knowing that he was staying in the country illegally on an expired visa.

He said: ‘CCTV from the incident was examined and after checking evidence at the hotel the suspect was found to be Mr Reece Vella, a British citizen, aged 25 years.

 In footage from the arrest, the tourist – who arrived in Thailand between three and four months ago – is heard asking to be un-cuffed before laughing as he says: ‘Can I have a cigarette now?’

Thai police said that Vella arrived at the venue earlier in the evening before agreeing a fee of around 1,500 baht (£35) then leaving with Wannipa (pictured) and going to a room at the nearby Cosy Beach View condominium block

‘An arrest warrant was issued after evidence was presented to the court. The police case is that on the day of the incident Mr Vella visited the bar and paid to take Miss Wannipa away.

‘Miss Wannipa and Mr Vella were having very strange, extravagant sex on the balcony until she fell down below and died.

‘Mr Vella was in shock and knowing that he had overstayed his visa ran away and kept her mobile phone in his bag and left the room.

‘Mr Vella has been arrested on suspicion of negligence causing others to die, overstaying his visa in excess of 59 days and stealing a motorcycle at night.

‘The foreign suspect will be processed and prosecuted in accordance with the law.’

Vella was filmed in possession of two mobile phones – one of which police claim was Wannipa’s handset

Police claim Vella (pictured on his arrest) and Wannipa had been having what translates as ‘fancy or extravagant’ sex on the balcony before she fell to her death

But police claim that the pair had been having what translates as ‘fancy or extravagant’ sex on the balcony of the hotel (pictured) before Wannipa fell to her death

A packet of a Viagra-related gel was found next to Wannipa Janhuathon, 26, after she plunged five floors from a hotel balcony

The bar girl, also known by the nickname Joy, had moved from her home town in Sakon Nakhon province, and was working at Sky Bar in the city’s bustling Soi 6 street which is lined with hundreds of prostitutes working in bars and massage parlours.

Thai police said that Vella arrived at the venue earlier in the evening before agreeing a fee of around 1,500 baht (£35) then leaving with Wannipa and going to a room at the nearby Cosy Beach View condominium block.

But police claim that the pair had been having what translates as ‘fancy or extravagant’ sex on the balcony before Wannipa fell to her death – along with a packet of Kamagra oral jelly which was found next to her body at around 5.30am local time.

Sources close to the investigation said that the packet of Viagra-related gel which fell along with her body, gave them the first clue that Wannipa had not been alone – and had actually been mid-way through sex when she plunged naked to the ground.

The building’s security guard Kriengsak Khamchachai, 23, described hearing a ‘loud crash’ as Wannipa hit the floor. Pictured: The Cosy Beach View apartment block

The building’s security guard Kriengsak Khamchachai, 23, described hearing a ‘loud crash’ as Wannipa hit the floor. He then walked over and saw her body in a pool of blood before raising the alarm.

Paramedics arrived and performed CPR on Wannipa – who was still alive – but she was later pronounced dead in hospital.

Devastated staff at the venue said Wannipa was one of the ‘happiest, friendliest girls anybody could wish to meet’.

They added in a statement: ‘As many of you know we lost our beautiful Joy [on Saturday] morning.

‘The place will not be the same without Joy’s big cheeky smile and sense of humour.

‘She really was a very special girl and left a lasting impression on all of us. She will remain in our hearts forever.’

Read more:

Brit arrested after prostitute falls to her death during ‘strange’ sex is a convicted rapist on the run from cops – Mirror Online