Police are struggling to find two friends pictured with Jay Slater just before he vanished in Tenerife, the teenager’s inquest has heard. An inquest into the death of the 19-year-old is taking place today in Preston Coroner’s Court (Wednesday, May 21).
With proceedings already underway, senior coroner Dr James Adeley is overseeing the case. Dr Adeley previously oversaw the case of Nicola Bulley two years ago.
As the hearing opened, Dr Adeley informed the court that neither of Jay’s friends – Lucy Law and Brad Hargreaves – could be ‘located’ by police. The friends had been attending the NRG music festival with Jay in Tenerife last June when the youngster went missing.
According to the coroner, both friends had ‘denied who they are’ ahead of the hearing, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Dr Adeley told the court: “We can’t find them. They have denied who they are and we have had police looking for them but we can’t find them.”
Jay, a bricklayer from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, had been partying at a music event in Playa de las Americas before travelling to an Airbnb in Parc de Teno on June 17 last year. The area, in the north of Tenerife, is known for being remote and rugged.
Jay was last seen at the Airbnb before he attempted to return to his accommodation in Los Cristianos on foot. The teen was sadly found dead in the nearby Juan Lopez ravine on July 15 following a four-week search.
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