The inquest into the death of teenager Jay Slater in Tenerife has resumed today. The inquest, initially due to take place in May at Preston Coroner’s Court, was previously adjourned as key witnesses could not be found – and there are still some who have not come forward to testify.
19-year-old Jay from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, was holidaying on the Spanish island with friends and had been to the NRG music festival at the Papagayo nightclub in the resort of Playa de las Americas on June 16 last year. It is believed that he travelled to a rental apartment in the early hours of the next morning before his disappearance, being reported missing on June 18. Evidence suggests he left the flat after several hours, attempting to walk back to his accommodation before getting lost and falling into a ravine.
In the days after Jay’s disappearance a huge search was launched before his body was found in a steep and inaccessible area. He was discovered by a Spanish Civil Guard mountain rescue team near the village of Masca on July 15, a month on from his initial disappearance.
Several key witnesses were identified in the case who had been with Jay on the night of his disappearance – but at the initial inquest opening in May, the court heard they could not be traced or were unavailable, even after significant police efforts to encourage them to come forward.
Jay’s mum Debbie Duncan ‘tearfully’ asked the coroner to adjourn the inquest until the witnesses could be located, with Dr James Adeley, senior coroner for Lancashire and Blackburn with Darwen, agreeing to adjourn until today (Thursday, July 24).
One witness who is due to give evidence today is Ayub Qassim, who was with Jay at the holiday apartment he travelled to in Masca. He is due to give evidence via video link, according to the Liverpool Echo.
Speaking to The Central Hub podcast earlier this year, Qassim reported having ‘survivor’s guilt’ over the incident – but explained that he had told Jay not to leave. He said that he told a friend: “My reaction was mate, I f**ing told him I’d give him a lift in a couple of hours, if only he waited. That’s your lot’s problem. I’m going to bed. Your mate is sweet, he come here in one piece, he left in one piece. I did my part.”
Jay Slater’s friends Brad Hargreaves and Lucy Law, who did not give evidence in May, are also due to testify today. However, Steven Roccas, who had been at the holiday apartment along with Ayub Qassim, still could not be located by the coroner.
At the initial inquest, toxicology expert Dr Stephanie Martin revealed that analysis showed traces of drugs such as cocaine, ketamine and ecstasy had been found in Jay’s system. Home Office pathologist Dr Richard Shepherd said his post-mortem examination gave cause of death as head injuries and Mr Slater’s body showed no evidence of restraint or assault, with the pattern of injuries consistent with a fall from height.
Jay’s phone data was also analysed by police. On the night of his disappearance the teen had received messages from friends telling him to go home as he was “off his head”. Phone location data suggested he travelled to the holiday apartment then left the property at around 7.45am the next day.
Statements from local Spanish witnesses said they were approached and asked by Mr Slater about buses or taxis to take him home. More messages from friends warned him about the “boiling” heat of the day but activity data on his phone stopped at 8.51am, suggesting the battery had died.
Marieke Krans from Dutch rescue charity Signi Zoekhonden helped in the search. She said the area where the body was found was about a three and a half-hour walk from the holiday apartment and was “really steep, really dangerous”, and it was “easy” to lose your footing. The coroner told the hearing that one explanation for Mr Slater’s death could be “he has walked into the middle of nowhere and fallen off a cliff”. The inquest is scheduled to conclude tomorrow (Friday, July 25).
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