A father arrested in Thailand accused of killing a Russian businessman who allegedly propositioned his underage daughter for sex only moved to the country six months ago to start a new life after being jailed for drug offences, it has been revealed.
The Welshman, 34, is accused of killing a man with a single punch for allegedly flirting with his 15-year-old daughter at a pool party in Pattaya over the weekend.
Described as a ‘Flash Harry’, the man was revealed to have only moved to the city in eastern Thailand at Christmas in hopes of a fresh start, after being jailed for possession with intent to supply cocaine in 2017 and ‘burning bridges’ with his family.
But within weeks of setting up home in the resort – known for its seedy nightlife – he contacted family in Wales begging them to send him money.
Acknowledging the arrest, one relative, who did not want to be named, said: ‘We know about it but he’s on his own – we don’t want to get involved. He’s burned all his bridges here.’
‘We are estranged from him, there’s a lot of bad history. I haven’t spoken to him for a long time and that’s the way it will stay.’
Another relative, who also did not wish to be named, said: ‘He had got out of prison and wanted a fresh start. But it seems like things have got even worse for him there.’
However, there was some confusion among family members as, contrary to police reports from Thailand, the man is not thought to have a wife or daughter living there.
Relatives said he does have a 15-year-old daughter but she lives with her mother in South Wales.
Before heading to Thailand, he was renting a small, pebble-dashed terraced house in Merthyr Tydfil, where he was unpopular with his neighbours.
He would park his Jaguar and Audi A6 in the middle of the street blocking access for other residents, sources claimed.
‘I stayed well clear of him but there were a few shouting matches with the [other] neighbours,’ one said.
‘He lived there on his own but you would occasionally see girls going back and forth.
‘I knew he’d gone to Thailand about six months ago – it’s a shock to hear what’s happened out there.’
Boxes of rubbish, including empty cans of Strongbow cider, were allegedly piled up outside the house in the quiet Welsh street today.
A local businessman, who didn’t want to be named, said: ‘He’s a bit of a Flash Harry, he works out, loves his suntans and tattoos.
‘I knew he was working in a nightclub in Thailand and a lot of people here are glad to see the back of him.
‘It’s his family I feel sorry for, they are lovely, law-abiding people.’
The British father was previously jailed after admitting possession of cocaine with intent to supply. He and a girlfriend were caught sneaking £2,000-worth of the drug into a music festival by hiding it in her handbag.
He allegedly killed Igor Yasilyev, 36, after the Russian man allegedly began flirting with his daughter in the early hours of Monday morning at a party in Viewpoint Village.
The drunk Russian was said to have whispered to the teenager that he wanted to have sex with her, pushing the Welshman to punch him in the face.
Mr Yasilyev fell backwards and is believed to have hit his head on the tile floor.
Emergency services were called at 3:16am and rushed to the scene, where he was found unconscious on the floor with blood pooling around his head.
Medics performed CPR before the man was rushed to Bangkok Hospital Pattaya in a critical condition. He died of his injuries soon after, the Pattaya Mail reported.
The British expat was arrested on Monday afternoon at his home in the Sattahip district, around 10 miles from the poolside villa.
He told police: ‘I did not think my punch would lead to the man’s death. I regret my actions.’
His wife, 28, said she had also attended the party but left early to go to work.
At around 3am, she claimed she received a text from her husband saying he wanted to go home.
She said she ‘found him walking along the street, so I took him back inside’.
‘When I asked him what happened, he told me that while they were drinking, the Russian man started to sexually harass our daughter, even though his own wife was also there at the party.
‘The harassment escalated until the man finally propositioned our daughter. This angered my husband so he punched him once and knocked him out.’
An acquaintance of the victim said the men met for the first time at the party.
‘They were drinking together normally until a row broke out. I didn’t know what nationality the man was, but he punched Mr Igor, who hit his head on the ground.
‘I was so shocked because there was a lot of blood,’ she said.
Police detained the Welshman on Monday and brought him to Pattaya Police Station to face legal charges.