By . Emily Allen . PUBLISHED: . 10:54 EST, 9 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 17:30 EST, 9 July 2012 . A hotel receptionist knifed a colleague to death before dumping his body on a bed and hiding inside the divan for two days, a court heard today. Attila Ban, 32, stabbed 20-year-old Tibor Vass before murdering the victim’s girlfriend, Alice Adams, also 20, it is alleged. Hungarian-born Ban then cut off his fellow countryman’s clothes before leaving him naked and posed on a double bed in the flat they shared, the Old Bailey was told. Killed: Hotel receptionist Attila Ban, 32, stabbed 20-year-old Tibor Vass, left, before murdering the victim’s girlfriend, Alice Adams, also 20, right, it is alleged. All three worked at the Radisson at Heathrow Airport . Ban, who had been named Employee of the Year at the hotel where he and his victims worked, tried to avoid detection by crawling into the bed’s divan base, where he hid for two days, jurors heard. He denies murdering the pair, but has admitted manslaughter in each case, claiming he was mentally ill when he launched his frenzied attack. He wept loudly in the dock as prosecutor Richard Whittam QC opened the facts of the case to jurors. ‘As you will hear, two young people both met a violent and unjustified death at the hands of this defendant,’ said Mr Whittam. ‘Although it has been said before about other cases, it is difficult to find words to describe what happened in this case other than to state it was a tragedy that two young people should meet their death in the way they did.’ Ban and his two victims all worked at the Radisson Edwardian Hotel at Heathrow Airport, west London, and he and Mr Vass shared a flat behind the hotel. The openly gay killer had become attached to Mr Vass after he started work in August 2010, having moved to the UK after unsuccessfully applying for a university place. Attila Ban allegedly had crush on Tibor Vass and was jealous of his girlfriend Alice Adams . ‘Tibor Vass had been in relationships with women who worked at the hotel and there is no evidence he ever had a sexual relationship with Attila Ban,’ said Mr Whittam. ‘Attila Ban did, however, appear to have affection for Tibor Vass and behaved in a slightly possessive way towards him.’ ‘A friend thought that Attila Ban “fancied Tibor too much”,’ he added. Ban had been jealous about Mr Vass’s relationships, and just days before the killing launched an outburst at his victim during a team building exercise when he took a picture that did not feature Ban, the court heard. Things came to a head when Ban learned Mr Vass had been accepted on a university course back in Hungary and was due to leave the UK at the end of the month. Friends also thought Mr Vass had begun a relationship with Alice Adams. Ban launched his attack in the early hours of August 10, after he was left alone with Mr Vass and Miss Adams following a party at the hotel-owned flat. ‘What happened thereafter may never be known,’ said Mr Whittam. ‘Alice Adams had been in touch with her boyfriend during the day. ‘She sent a text to her mother just after midnight to let her know that she might stay with a friend who lived next to the hotel.’ The next day, none of the three showed up for work, while a new post had appeared on Ban’s Facebook wall reading: ‘I’d like to wake up from this nightmare’. Police went to the flat in New Road, Harlington, and discovered the bodies of the victims. Mr Vass was lying naked on a bed and had been posed with his legs up and splayed. His T-shirt and boxer shorts had been cut off and discarded by the flat’s main door. Miss Adams was found underneath a window, clothed and with her face covered. Traces of DNA belonging to Mr Vass and Ban were found on her breasts. But Ban was nowhere to be found. It was not until two days later that he was discovered, lying naked on a bed. He had tried to slit his wrists with modelling knives and electrocute himself with a hairdryer in the bath. ‘It became apparent that he had been hiding in the divan base of the double bed,’ said Mr Whittam. ‘He must have been there throughout the attendance of the pathologist, the removal of the bodies and the examination of the scene by crime scene examiners. ‘He had enough presence of mind to have concealed himself effectively and to remain undetected throughout the time they were in the premises.’ Ban denies two counts of murder but has admitted manslaughter on the basis of diminished responsibility in each case. The trial will continue tomorrow. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons.
Attila Ban allegedly had crush on Tibor Vass and was jealous of girlfriend Alice Adams .
When police left he jumped out and slashed his own throat .
He'd cut off Vass's clothes leaving him naked on a double bed .
Claims he was mentally ill when he launched the frenzied attack .
By . Emily Allen . PUBLISHED: . 10:54 EST, 9 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 17:30 EST, 9 July 2012 . A hotel receptionist knifed a colleague to death before dumping his body on a bed and hiding inside the divan for two days, a court heard today. Attila Ban, 32, stabbed 20-year-old Tibor Vass before murdering the victim’s girlfriend, Alice Adams, also 20, it is alleged. Hungarian-born Ban then cut off his fellow countryman’s clothes before leaving him naked and posed on a double bed in the flat they shared, the Old Bailey was told. Killed: Hotel receptionist Attila Ban, 32, stabbed 20-year-old Tibor Vass, left, before murdering the victim’s girlfriend, Alice Adams, also 20, right, it is alleged. All three worked at the Radisson at Heathrow Airport . Ban, who had been named Employee of the Year at the hotel where he and his victims worked, tried to avoid detection by crawling into the bed’s divan base, where he hid for two days, jurors heard. He denies murdering the pair, but has admitted manslaughter in each case, claiming he was mentally ill when he launched his frenzied attack. He wept loudly in the dock as prosecutor Richard Whittam QC opened the facts of the case to jurors. ‘As you will hear, two young people both met a violent and unjustified death at the hands of this defendant,’ said Mr Whittam. ‘Although it has been said before about other cases, it is difficult to find words to describe what happened in this case other than to state it was a tragedy that two young people should meet their death in the way they did.’ Ban and his two victims all worked at the Radisson Edwardian Hotel at Heathrow Airport, west London, and he and Mr Vass shared a flat behind the hotel. The openly gay killer had become attached to Mr Vass after he started work in August 2010, having moved to the UK after unsuccessfully applying for a university place. Attila Ban allegedly had crush on Tibor Vass and was jealous of his girlfriend Alice Adams . ‘Tibor Vass had been in relationships with women who worked at the hotel and there is no evidence he ever had a sexual relationship with Attila Ban,’ said Mr Whittam. ‘Attila Ban did, however, appear to have affection for Tibor Vass and behaved in a slightly possessive way towards him.’ ‘A friend thought that Attila Ban “fancied Tibor too much”,’ he added. Ban had been jealous about Mr Vass’s relationships, and just days before the killing launched an outburst at his victim during a team building exercise when he took a picture that did not feature Ban, the court heard. Things came to a head when Ban learned Mr Vass had been accepted on a university course back in Hungary and was due to leave the UK at the end of the month. Friends also thought Mr Vass had begun a relationship with Alice Adams. Ban launched his attack in the early hours of August 10, after he was left alone with Mr Vass and Miss Adams following a party at the hotel-owned flat. ‘What happened thereafter may never be known,’ said Mr Whittam. ‘Alice Adams had been in touch with her boyfriend during the day. ‘She sent a text to her mother just after midnight to let her know that she might stay with a friend who lived next to the hotel.’ The next day, none of the three showed up for work, while a new post had appeared on Ban’s Facebook wall reading: ‘I’d like to wake up from this nightmare’. Police went to the flat in New Road, Harlington, and discovered the bodies of the victims. Mr Vass was lying naked on a bed and had been posed with his legs up and splayed. His T-shirt and boxer shorts had been cut off and discarded by the flat’s main door. Miss Adams was found underneath a window, clothed and with her face covered. Traces of DNA belonging to Mr Vass and Ban were found on her breasts. But Ban was nowhere to be found. It was not until two days later that he was discovered, lying naked on a bed. He had tried to slit his wrists with modelling knives and electrocute himself with a hairdryer in the bath. ‘It became apparent that he had been hiding in the divan base of the double bed,’ said Mr Whittam. ‘He must have been there throughout the attendance of the pathologist, the removal of the bodies and the examination of the scene by crime scene examiners. ‘He had enough presence of mind to have concealed himself effectively and to remain undetected throughout the time they were in the premises.’ Ban denies two counts of murder but has admitted manslaughter on the basis of diminished responsibility in each case. The trial will continue tomorrow. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons.
countryman’s clothes before leaving him naked and posed on a double bed in the flat they shared, case, claiming he was mentally ill when he launched his frenzied attack. He wept loudly in place. Attila Ban allegedly had crush on Tibor Vass and was jealous of his girlfriend Alice