Jay Slater cops admit they are powerless to force key witnesses to attend his inquest - after his mother's emotional plea for answers

Daily Mail​

23-05-2025

Police have admitted they are powerless to force key witnesses to attend the inquest into Jay Slater's death.
The 19-year-old, from Oswaldtwistle in Lancashire, disappeared in Tenerife last summer sparking a major manhunt before he was found dead about a month later.
The inquest was halted on Wednesday after Mr Slater's mother, Debbie Duncan, 55, made an emotional plea to judges after the two key witnesses failed to attend and were unable to be contacted.
A spokesperson for Lancashire Police today told MailOnline: 'First and foremost, our thoughts remain with Jay's family and friends at this distressing time.
'We supported HM Coroner by making extensive efforts to contact a number of witnesses ahead of the inquest, both in Lancashire and more widely. However we understand some of these individuals may be abroad and had already left the country when these efforts were made.
They added: 'We have no jurisdiction in such circumstances to compel someone to attend. We will continue to support the coroner ahead of the resumption of the inquest.
'Once again, our thoughts are with Jay's loved ones.'
Mr Slater was on holiday on the island and had been to the NRG music festival with friends at the Papagayo nightclub in Playa de las Americas on June 16 last year.
Early the next day, Mr Slater is thought to have gone to an Airbnb with other people he had met while on holiday, then vanished and was reported missing on June 18.
His body was found in a steep and inaccessible area by a mountain rescue team from the Spanish Civil Guard near the village of Masca on July 15, 2024 – and an inquest at Preston Coroner's Court today heard he was found to have had drugs in his system.
The hearing was told extensive efforts including summonses had been issued for several witnesses who were in contact with Mr Slater before he disappeared
But the inquest was adjourned after the teenager's mother, Debbie Duncan, 55, pleaded for it to be halted until they could find the missing witnesses.
They include the two British men who rented the AirBnb - convicted drug dealer Ayub Qassim, 31, Steven Roccas, previously known as 'Rocky', Lucy Law, who is reportedly in Tenerife, Brandon Hodges and Bradley Geoghegan, who also uses the surname Hargreaves.
On Wednesday, Ms Duncan told Lancashire senior coroner Dr James Adeley: 'How can we ever get any understanding? We know he died, he had an accident.'
Sobbing, she added: 'There's things that we want to question. We want these people to be sat in front of us. Something went wrong that day, he didn't come back. There's questions we need to ask - please.'
The coroner agreed to pause proceedings so she could compose herself. He later adjourned it altogether so his staff could make further efforts to find Mr Qassim and Mr Roccas, but warned the family he was 'not confident of success'.
Dr Adeley told Mr Slater's family: 'You've heard of our difficulties in finding Ayub Qassim and Steven Roccas. However in view of your distress we will make an effort to find them.'
The coroner said those of Mr Slater's friends who are currently abroad would also be provided with new summonses to attend the resumed hearing.
He asked the family to pass his office any contact details which they had for them – and the hearing would reconvene at a date to be fixed.
Earlier, the inquest was told Mr Slater had traces of cocaine, ecstasy and ketamine in his body when he was found dead - and had been 'off his head on drugs'.
The hearing was also told that his friends had failed to attend to give their accounts.
Lucy Law – who received a call from the Mr Slater saying he was lost, had 1 per cent charge on his phone and needed water – is among those who could not be traced to give evidence, the coroner revealed.
As proceedings began, Dr Adeley said police had failed in attempts to contact Ms Law and several of Mr Slater's other British friends.
'We can't find them, they have stopped responding to phone calls,' he said while Mr Slater's parents Ms Duncan and father Warren Slater, 58, listened in silence.
Dr Adeley also told the coroner's court: 'When drugs are involved in a death, the witnesses are less than forthcoming and do not wish to speak to the authorities.'
The inquest also heard his severe skull and pelvis fractures were consistent with a fall from a height - and that traces of cocaine, ecstasy and ketamine were in his body.
And a friend said that Mr Slater seemed to be 'off his head on drugs' the night before his death.
The apprentice bricklayer was last seen alive leaving the white-washed house in Masca at around 7.30am on June 17.
He was apparently trying to walk the 10-hour journey back to the apartment where he was staying after missing a bus back.
An immediate focus of the investigation was a post Mr Slater uploaded on Snapchat of him having a cigarette, with the location tagged at the door of the apartment at 7.30am UK time.
Then two phone calls emerged.
Ms Law - who later attended Mr Slater's funeral in August - received a call at 8.30am where he said he was lost, had 1 per cent charge on his phone and needed water.
In a video call to their other friend, Brad Hargreaves, Mr Slater was walking on rough, stony ground, saying he was making the long walk back.
His mother and father joined family and friends to comb the island for sightings.
As the mystery surrounding the teen's disappearance grew, 'vile' and 'distressing' conspiracy theories began to emerge that dogged efforts to find Mr Slater.
Among the rumours circulating included claims Mr Slater had been targeted by a criminal cartel on the island for allegedly stealing a watch from a gang member - something his family vehemently denied happened.
Tragically Mr Slater's body was found a month later in a mountainous area of the island.
He is believed to have lost his footing and fallen while desperately trying to climb through the ravine to try and return to his hotel.
A post-mortem found that he died of traumatic head injuries, consistent with a fall from height. His death would have been instantaneous.
A forensic pathologist who examined Mr Slater's body after its repatriation to the UK said at today's inquest that injuries including severe skull and pelvis fractures were consistent from a fall from a height.
He found no sign of injuries associated with Mr Slater being assaulted prior to his death – but said his post mortem examination could not rule out the possibility that Jay had been pushed.
Dr Richard Shepherd said the injuries seen in assault victims were 'very different from the type of injuries I saw with Jay'.
The pathologist said decomposition of Mr Slater's body during the 28 days it lay at the bottom of the ravine in the hot Tenerife climate meant he could not 'exclude' the possibility of a push 'because a push would not leave a mark'.
'But with that proviso there was nothing to indicate an assault or gripping of any sort,' he added.
Dr Shepherd said the injuries caused by the fall would have caused 'instantaneous' loss of consciousness and Mr Slater would have died soon afterwards.
'Jay would undoubtedly have been unconscious and unaware,' he added.
Even with immediate specialist treatment in a neurosurgical unit, Dr Shepherd said he would be 'extremely surprised' if Mr Slater could have survived his 'severe' injuries.
The inquest also heard traces of cocaine, ecstasy and ketamine were found in Mr Slater's body.
Toxicologist Dr Stephanie Martin said the length of time before Mr Slater's body was discovered meant it was impossible to carry out tests on blood or urine.
But examination of a liver sample found metabolites of MDMA and of another recreational drug MDA, as well as of cocaine.
Spanish scientists additionally tested hair and muscle samples, finding a metabolite of ketamine, Dr Martin added.
However due to the length of time between Mr Slater's death and the samples being taken, she was unable to say if he had been under the influence of drugs when he fell to his death, she said.
But he would have taken the ketamine within the previous 12 hours, Dr Martin added.
She said her analysis suggested Mr Slater had taken MDMA within one or two days before his death.
But the Spanish tests indicated that Mr Slater had used ketamine 'over a much longer period'.
The hearing was also told by one friend of Mr Slater who did give evidence about a message in which the teenager mentioned being 'thrown out' of the rave and trying to sell an expensive watch for £10,000.
Joshua Forshaw – who gave evidence by videolink - said he met Mr Slater and his friends for the first time when they flew out for the NRG festival and swapped Snapchat details.
He told the Spanish authorities that when he saw Mr Slater on June 16 – the night before his death – he seemed to be 'off his head on drugs'.
Asked how he seemed by Dr Adeley, Mr Forshaw said: 'He was quite excitable. He seemed to be in a happy mood, joyful, excited to be there.'
He assumed Mr Slater had taken ecstasy because his friend Mr Hargreaves had asked Mr Forshaw to split a tablet with him, he said.
Later that night Mr Forshaw received a Snapchat message from Mr Slater saying he had 'ended up getting thrown out' with two other people and planned to sell a watch for 'ten quid'.
Mr Forshaw said that meant £10,000 but said he never saw the watch and had no involvement in attempts to sell it.
Snapchat messages normally delete automatically, but Mr Forshaw said he saved that one and later handed it to police.
However the court was told police later accidentally deleted the image, the court heard.
The Snapchat message read: 'Yes cuz ended up getting thrown out of there me with 2 Maili kids just took an AP off some **** on way to sell it for 10 quid'.
Mr Forshaw said an AP was an expensive watch brand. The message was sent at 5.58am.
He said that later in the early morning of June 17, Mr Slater sent him another image with mountains in the background showing his top pulled up and two knives in his waistband.
At the same time through Snapchat he said Mr Slater texted him: 'I'm carrying these in case it kicks off.'
Mr Forshaw said he didn't save the image and did not mention it to the Spanish Guardia Civil before leaving Tenerife.
However he told Lancashire Police about it when he returned to the UK because it was 'the right thing to do'.
Mr Forshaw said he did not ask Mr Slater if he was OK in response to the message.
Later that morning he overheard a Facetime call between Mr Slater and his friend Mr Hargreaves after going to their apartment.
'He was slurring his words but he wasn't begging for help or anything,' he told the court. 'He didn't sound like he was in danger.'
Mr Forshaw said Mr Hargreaves urged Mr Slater to get a taxi back to where they were staying, but the teenager said he had no money.
Mr Hargreaves told Mr Slater he should either get a taxi and run off when it reached its destination, or alternatively they would pay for it, the hearing was told.
Mr Slater didn't sound 'distressed or angry', he added.
The coroner pressed Mr Forshaw on whether it was true that Mr Slater sent him an image showing knives in his waistband, reminding him that he was under oath.
'I wouldn't lie,' he said. 'I went to police off my own back.'
At the close of his evidence, Dr Adeley instructed him to provide 'proof' that 'ten quid' was 'common parlance' meaning £10,000, warning that there would be 'serious consequences' if he did not comply.
Before closing the videolink, the coroner gave him until 2pm to supply the information.
Attempts to contact the Britons with whom Jay spent his final hours via mobile phone numbers and email addresses which they gave the Spanish authorities were unsuccessful, the court heard.
Police served summonses on Ayub Qassim, who was renting the AirBnB he went back to, and fellow Briton Steven Roccas, known as Rocky, the coroner heard.
But both were unknown at the addresses in London held by police.
Witness summons were also issued for Jay's friends Josh Forshaw, Lucy Law, Brad Hargreaves and Brandon Hodgson.
Mr Forshaw responded to a summons and gave evidence, but Mr Hargreaves replied to say he would be away on holiday when the inquest was heard today, having booked the trip last October.
Ms Law is currently in Tenerife, the coroner was told, while Mr Hodgson is also understood to be abroad.
'We've been looking for them for months and we cannot find them,' Dr Adeley said. 'We really tried, we just can't find them.'
Asking about Mr Qassim and the fellow Briton whose AirBnb the teenager went back to, Mr Slater's father Warren told the coroner: 'The two people who can put some light on whatever happened to Jay aren't in court today.'
Dr Adeley said he understood his concerns.
But he said evidence from Spanish witnesses given to the Tenerife authorities due to be spelt out to the hearing would corroborate the account Mr Qassim gave at the time.