A CONVICTED rapist arrested following the death of a Thai prostitute sacked his legal team on the day he was due to be sentenced for drug dealing.

Ex-soldier Reece Vella expressed his frustration that a legal representative had not turned up at a previous court hearing and that he had not yet been seen by a psychiatrist in prison.

This meeting was so a psychiatric report could be prepared to assist with the sentencing exercise.

The 27-year-old, formerly of Callow End, near Worcester, appeared at Worcester Crown Court yesterday after previously admitting being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin

We reported how Thai police arrested Vella after Wannipa Janhuathon fell to her death from a balcony in Pattaya, Thailand in early 2018.

Vella reportedly was having ‘strange and extravagant’ sex with the 26-year-old before she plunged five floors from an apartment balcony at The Cosy Beach View complex, according to national media.

By flying to Thailand in November 2017, Vella had failed without reasonable excuse to comply with the notification requirements of the Sexual Offences Act 2003. The former Royal Logistics Corps soldier is also due to be sentenced for that matter.

Vella was sentenced to four years and nine months in a young offenders institution for rape and common assault in 2012. In that case he raped a teenager after he became jealous over her at a party.

Chloe Griggs who had been acting on behalf of the defendant said: “May I let your Honour know I have seen Mr Vella and he has made it plain he does not want me to represent him today.”

Miss Griggs then asked permission to leave the court which she did. Judge Robert Juckes QC went on to speak to the defendant directly, asking if he wanted to secure new representation and telling him he was ‘facing a significant sentence’.

Judge Juckes advised the defendant to stick with his existing legal team, asking Vella: “Are you sure you are not over-reacting by sacking your barrister?”

He offered to put matters back so he could see the psychiatrist, warning that otherwise there would be an additional delay.

But Vella said: “It’s not just to do with that. They failed to attend the last court hearing. I have been just representing myself in court when I was meant to be provided with a lawyer. They failed to attend a legal visit to come to see to me.”

The judge said he did understand Vella’s 'frustration' but said all he could do was put the matter back for six weeks to and could not guarantee Vella would get legal aid.

The sentence hearing was adjourned until Friday, September 27.

In the meantime he was remanded in custody.