
Jay Slater detective makes bombshell claim over 'highly sensitive' new evidence
The ex-detective who initially helped Jay Slater's family during his disappearance has made a bombshell revelation over new evidence he discovered.
Mark Williams-Thomas accused Spanish police of failing to investigate a key piece of evidence he had in his possession, which could have helped to shed light onto the famous mystery.
The ex-cop claimed Spanish authorities "never came back" to him when he told them he had a crucial audio recording to share as part of their investigation into Jay. This bombshell claim comes as an inquest into Jay's death was launched at Preston Crown Court in the UK this month, reports The Mirror.
Mark, in a seven-minute long video, revealed the difficulties he faced when dealing with the Spanish police and claimed he was ignored when he told investigators he had a key audio recording.
The ex-detective said: "I sent the information I had in an email to Spanish authorities. I told them I wasn't able to share the audio recording at this point because I needed to explain to them how I had obtained it and also I was very conscious that it was highly sensitive and I didn't want it just being shared all around. They've never come back to me."
Mark suggested a reason why Spanish cops could have allegedly ignored him, and said the authorities in some countries "really don't like working with the public to get information, they think they always know the answers".
The 19-year-old from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, had travelled to Tenerife for the NRG music festival in July 2024. He dramatically disappeared after the festival and a huge manhunt was sparked on the island.
A 29-day search for the apprentice bricklayer ensued and he was eventually found in a remote national park, around a three-hour walk from the town of Masca - where Slater went with two men he met at the festival.
Spanish authorities determined the 19-year-old died after sustaining multiple injuries consistent with a fall in a rocky area. Now, during an inquest 10 months after his death, Home Office pathologist Dr Richard Shepherd said Jay's body was already decomposing when he examined it. The inquest also heard Jay had a cocktail of drugs in his system when he died.
The inquest was also abruptly halted on Wednesday after Jay's distraught mum Debbie asked for it to be stopped until several witnesses, including Jay's pal Lucy Law, who is reportedly in Tenerife, can be found to give evidence.
The Airbnb where Jay slept shortly before going missing has changed its name in a desperate bid to distance itself from the 19-yera-old's case. The two-bed property was named Casa Abuela Tina but has now been christened Casa El Turron.
In the weeks after Jay's disappearance, the spot became a dark tourist attraction with tourists keen to see where the teen was last seen alive.

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The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
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His lawyer argued it was unthinkable that a teenager could have carried out the killing - it had the hallmarks of a professional hit. Prosecutor Brian McConnachie said the case has had a lasting impact on the community which remains divided over his guilt. "I suspect it still does affect people. "I think there's always going to be two sides." 16 Prosecutor Brian McConnachie said the case still divides the island Credit: Amazon 16 The victim's brother Abul Shafuddin Mahmood maintains the murder was racially motivated Credit: Orkney Photographic Archive 16 Witnesses reported seeing the killer in Papdale Woods close to the scene Credit: Times Newspapers Ltd McConnachie described the high profile case as "challenging" but on 20 June 2008 the jury took just four hours to return a guilty verdict - only for the moment to be overshadowed by an audacious escape attempt. As he was about to be led away Ross dramatically knocked over a security guard, and jumped out of the dock. He yanked open a side door and ran, but was tackled by a court official. It later emerged that he had parked a rental car two miles from the court, containing a Skorpion machine pistol with 542 rounds of ammunition - which he had smuggled back from Kosovo - as well as an air rifle, hand grenade, smoke grenades, a sleeping bag, camping equipment and survival gear. There's something unnerving about what was contained within the car Brian McConnachie KC McConnachie added: "If you are trying to look for things that point towards guilt, then you might look at the circumstances of the last day of the trial, and the motor vehicle that he had and the things he had in them when he tried to escape from the court - never mind trying to escape from the prison. "There's something unnerving about what was contained within the car." When Ross returned to court four months later, amid heightened security, he was sentenced to 25 years plus a further five for his bid to flee. 16 Ross's friend Susan Robinson joined the campaign for his release Credit: Michael Schofield - The Sun Glasgow In that time, he has made three further attempts to escape from custody in one of Scotland's highest security prisons. In 2014, he tried to break out of a security van on the way to hospital and, in 2016, he stole an angle grinder from the prison workshop, replacing it with a wooden replica. Most recently, in 2018, the former soldier tried to scale the perimeter fence of a sports field at HMP Shotts in Lanarkshire, using a rope ladder he fashioned. 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Irish Independent
6 hours ago
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