British backpacker faces life in prison for drug trafficking in Thailand, was arrested a few days after his wedding during the ceremony on a paradise island and is a new father

A Briton facing life in prison in Thailand is a new father who was arrested just days after getting married during a romantic ceremony on a remote island paradise.

Andrew Brett, 35, was allegedly carrying a stash of cocaine and LSD when he was arrested following a five-month undercover police operation.

His devastated parents, John and Ann, told of their shock when news of their son’s arrest emerged just days after they returned from a month-long break on the island of Koh Tao.

Andrew’s dad John, 82, told how his son seemed to have ‘everything to look forward to’ and ‘a bright future ahead of him’ after tying the knot with a Thai-born woman in a beachside ceremony .

Retired electrician John told MailOnline: ‘This is a big shock – we haven’t been told anything.

‘We just got back from Thailand. We went for the wedding.

‘Everything seemed perfect. It was a beautiful ceremony. He has a lovely wife and their son is not yet four months old.

‘We had such a great time. Now remember that this happened. It just doesn’t make sense.’

Andrew, who grew up in Worcester Park, Surrey, and attended the state’s Richard Challoner School, had allegedly sold hard drugs to tourists at Ecco Bar in the island’s southern province of Surat Thani.

The former locksmith lived on the island for more than two years.

Two of his sisters have lived in Thailand for years and both have established a business there with bars, cafes and a diving school.

The three siblings all live on the island where Andrew rented an apartment and hoped to settle down after starting a family and going into business with friends – he had a stake in a local bar.

John, father-of-five, said at the family’s £800,000 home where Andrew grew up: ‘We had a month in Thailand – it was beautiful.

‘He has a baby who is not yet four months old. A beautiful boy. He loves it out there. He didn’t want to come back.

‘It is a very popular island for diving.

‘He has a partnership with two or three people who run a bar. You have to have a Thai owner. He had shares in it.

‘He was there for the first time a few years ago. He came back and worked with his brother as a locksmith. A few years ago he went out again and hasn’t come back.

“Two of his sisters are out there. One has been there for 22 years. They run their own bars, a café and a diving school.’

Just days before his arrest, Andrew posted a touching video of the wedding ceremony that took place on his “beautiful little island paradise.”

About 80 friends and family attended the ceremony where the couple, who both wore white, were showered in flower petals after exchanging vows against the idyllic backdrop.

John said: ‘It was such a beautiful ceremony on the beach. The sun was shining. There were some beautiful flowers that they made into an arch. All her relations came from the north.

‘At one point I looked up at him and we both started crying. It was so moving.

‘There were people of all nationalities. They all had bars or diving schools. They spoke very well and were a very good group of friends.

‘There were drinks and snacks. It was the best ever.

‘I just can’t believe this happened.

“He had everything going for him. He seemed to live the perfect life.

‘A few days ago I was with him and we had dinner with the whole family. They came to the swimming pool of the hotel where we were staying. There was nothing at all to indicate anything like that.”

John said he had had no contact with authorities and had not been officially notified of his son’s arrest.

He said: ‘We haven’t been told by anyone. No one from the State Department has contacted us and told us anything.

‘I’m sure his sisters will help him. The youngest has been walking around there for years.

“I’ll try to find out what’s going on with my daughter because I haven’t been told anything. This came as a shock.

‘My wife will be devastated.

‘We didn’t get back until Sunday and didn’t know anything about it yet. It took 24 hours to get back. It was a two-hour ferry ride to Koh Samui, then we flew to Singapore and back from there.”

Police reportedly acted after launching an investigation following a tip-off from a concerned customer that the Brit was handing out drugs at the bar.

They reportedly monitored Andrew’s activities for five months before arresting him on February 29 on his way to the establishment.

Officers are said to have found 0.54 grams of ecstasy in a plastic bag, 25 ecstasy pills and 75 LSD sheets, known locally as ‘magic paper’, among his belongings.

Police allege Andrew left his apartment every day at 8pm to sell the drugs to customers at the bar, a short walk from Sairee Beach, where British backpackers Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were beaten to death on the island in 2014.

Dozens more unexplained deaths of tourists on the island later emerged, earning it the chilling name Death Island.

Andrew reportedly admitted the stash was his and was charged with possession of a Class I narcotic for distribution. He now faces a sentence of up to life imprisonment or the death penalty, depending on how severely the judges judge the case.

It is unclear whether Andrew remains in custody or has been released on bail. His social media accounts have been active in recent days, but there have been no reports of his condition.

John said: “We just don’t know what’s happening or what’s going to happen. It seems like things work differently there. It was such a relaxing place. It was very quiet except that there were a lot of late night parties on the beach when we were there. They were busy all the time.

‘But it was actually very peaceful. The entire time we were there we didn’t see a single police officer on the island. We had such a great time. Now remember that this happened. They can be very strict there. They put people in jail and then throw away the key – that’s how we see it. It is a very worrying time.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been contacted for comment.