EXCLUSIVE On the trail of Jay Slater's 'missing mates': The five key witnesses who could hold the secrets to his death after inquest was halted... and where they are now

Daily Mail​

12 hours ago

Jay Slater's distraught family have demanded that fellow British tourists who saw him during his final hours in Tenerife reveal what they know.
The 19-year-old's body was found a month after he went missing down a ravine on a remote mountainside - and it was long hoped that an inquest would finally answer lingering questions about his death.
But instead last month's long-awaited hearing into the apprentice bricklayer's death was dramatically halted after it emerged that key witnesses had not been found.
The coroner told the court - including Jay's parents and other family members - that police had been unable to find the people who spent time with Jay in the hours before his death.
Jay's despairing mother Debbie Duncan has said she needs answers from key witnesses.
Now MailOnline has attempted to piece together where the missing witnesses might be.
The missing key witnesses include Jay's friends from his hometown of Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire: best mate Lucy Law, 19, as well as Bradley Hargreaves and Brandon Hodgson, both 20.
While the other two of the five missing witnesses met Jay for the first time in Tenerife - Ayub Qassim, 31, and Steven 'Rocky' Roccas, who drove him back to the remote AirBnb from which he died attempting to walk back.
Dr James Adeley told the hearing: 'We can't find them, they have stopped responding to phone calls.'
Among those he said police had tried and failed to find was Ms Law.
However Ms Law's family insisted that she was simply on holiday - on the very island where Jay had died - and was unaware that they wanted her to give evidence.
Speaking at the family home in Burnley, Lucy's stepfather Andy Davis said: 'We had no idea Jay's inquest was even being held.
'The police have only just been round today to say that she was due to give evidence. But it's the first time we knew of it.
'They asked if Lucy was home and I said she was abroad and they asked me if I was aware that she should have been in court, and I said I wasn't.
'The police said they had sent Lucy paperwork with the dates on it, but the first I knew about it was when the police turned up earlier today.'
The sense of farce deepened this week when MailOnline revealed that celebrity investigator Mark Williams-Thomas had managed to reach both Lucy and Ayub Qassim by telephone to interview them for his podcast.
Sources within the Slater family have said they too were aware where other supposedly missing witnesses were and how to contact them - and had been able to find out easily.
The family source said: 'Lucy was in Tenerife. Another supposedly untraceable witness was on holiday in Greece. If we can find this out so quickly why can't the police?'
The inquest at Preston Coroner's Court also heard a suggestion that witnesses may have been reluctant to appear because drugs may have been involved - as Jay was found to have traces of cocaine, ecstasy and ketamine in his body when found dead.
Dr Adeley said: 'When drugs are involved in a death, the witnesses are less than forthcoming and do not wish to speak to the authorities.'
A pathologist said Jay suffered severe skull and pelvis fractures consistent with falling from height.
Police analysis of his iPhone found no evidence that he was 'frightened' or 'under any threat' when he travelled from the all-night rave he had attended with friends to a remote village.
But mystery remains over why he set out on the fateful ten-mile walk back to the apartment where he was staying, with recreational drugs in his system and a tiny amount of charge on his phone.
The five missing Britons all hold the key to finally determining what happened to Jay, his family believe.
Frustrated by the Lancashire coroner's office failing to find them, Jay's mum Debbie said after the inquest: 'It's just been a really emotional day and we just want answers.
'The only people who can help are Ayub, Lucy and this Rocky guy who was there with Jay but none of them can be found.'
Debbie added: 'We know Lucy is in Tenerife but that's about it.
'She goes there a lot, someone from her family has a flat there.
'It would help if she did get in touch. We just want answers.
'As for the other two we know nothing about them or where they are.
'If anyone can help please get in touch.'
This is the quintet who failed to attend Jay's inquest – and how they could shed key light on the remaining unanswered questions when the hearing resumes at a date to be fixed:
LUCY LAW
Jay Slater had been on holiday in Tenerife with Lancashire friends Lucy Law, now 19, and Bradley Hargreaves. Ms Law - who later attended Mr Slater's funeral in August - received a call at 8.30am where Jay said he was lost, had 1 per cent charge on his phone and needed water.
After the friends became separated on the last night of the NRG festival, Jay's inquest heard there were 'repeated efforts' by Ms Law – referred to on his phone as Lucy Mae – to contact him.
She messaged him saying he was 'off your head' and to go back to their apartment.
At 8.35am Ms Law sent him a message telling him to 'get back to wherever the f*** you just came from'.
Ms Law spoke to reporters from the island as efforts to launch a search got underway.
After the tragic discovery of his body she posted a heartbreaking Instagram tribute, writing: 'Always the happiest and most smiley person in the room, you was one of a kind Jay and you'll be missed more than you know.
'I'm sure you'll 'have your dancing shoes polished and ready' waiting for us all.
'We all love you buddy. Fly high.'
The inquest was told that while a witness summons was issued for Ms Law, it was not served as she is currently in Tenerife.
But afterwards Ms Law's family told MailOnline that she was simply on holiday and was unaware that they wanted her to give evidence.
Speaking at the family home in Burnley, stepfather Andy Davis said: 'We had no idea Jay's inquest was even being held today.
'The police have only just been round today to say that she was due to give evidence. But it's the first time we knew of it.
'They asked if Lucy was home and I said she was abroad and they asked me if I was aware that she should have been in court, and I said I wasn't.
'The police said they had sent Lucy paperwork with the dates on it, but the first I knew about it was when the police turned up earlier today.'
Jay's family were aware she was in Tenerife, with a source saying: 'If we can find this out so quickly why can't the police?'
BRADLEY HARGREAVES
Another of the teenager's friends from East Lancashire, Bradley Hargreaves was swapping messages with Jay as he attempted to walk from the remote village of Masca back to their apartment.
At 6.09am on the morning of June 17, the inquest heard Jay sent his friend – also known as Bradley Geoghegan - his location as being in the village.
That was followed by a seven second video an hour later showing a mountainous scene.
Later that morning Josh Forshaw – the only friend who gave evidence yesterday - overheard a Facetime call between Jay and 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 Jay to get a taxi back to where they were staying, but the teenager said he had no money.
Jay didn't sound 'distressed or angry', he added.
Speaking about the video call – believed to be one of the last times anyone spoke to Jay – Mr Hargreaves later told ITV's This Morning that his friend was walking along a gravel path.
Speaking of the events that night, he said: 'What's happened is that we have split up, but he has been with people that he already knew.
'He's ended up back with them and I don't know how or what has gone on there but he's gone off and rang me halfway to their house saying I'm staying here and I'll be back the next day.
'He's rang me walking down the mountain and he just says he's walking home.
'At the time I didn't think anything of it I just thought he was going to get a bus home or a taxi home because that's what he says he is going to do.'
Mr Hargreaves stayed on in Tenerife assisting the search for Jay along with his mother Rachel.
After the tragic discovery of his body he posted an online tribute reading: 'Nothing be the same without you. Rest easy brother. Love you always.'
The inquest heard that Mr Hargreaves – now aged 20 - had informed the coroner's office that he would be abroad this week on a holiday booked last October.
BRANDON HODGSON
Brandon 'Hodgey' Hodgson, 20, was pictured at a pool party at a resort on the Spanish holiday island during the second day of the NRG festival on June 15 last year - just two days before Jay vanished.
Dressed in a distinctive orange T-shirt and with a bag across his chest, Mr Hodgson had his arm around the apprentice bricklayer's shoulders.
The photograph also features Lucy Law, who also heard from Jay as he attempted to walk back to the resort where they were staying from the remote AirBnb.
Like Jay's other friends, he was sending him messages expressing concern over his whereabouts after they became separated at the rave.
At around 2.40am on June 17 a message was sent by 'Hodgey' reading: 'You need to get home.'
Jay replied: 'You think I'm going home you must be disabled.'
As the search intensified, Mr Hodgson's mother told Mail Online he was being subjected to a 'hate campaign'.
At the family home in Brierfield, Lancashire last July, Natalie Hodgson said: 'He's liaising with the police, and that's all that matters.'
The inquest was told that officers from Lancashire Police attended his address in the run-up to the hearing with a witness summons but there was no answer.
It later emerged that like Jay's other friends Mr Hodgson is currently out of the country on holiday.
AYUB QASSIM
Ayub Qassim, 31, invited Jay back to his rented Airbnb in the mountainous Masca region after the teen had been partying at the final night of the NRG festival at Papagayo, in Playa de las Americas, around 20 miles away.
The convicted drug dealer – nicknamed 'Johnny Vegas' - was one of the last people to see Jay alive after driving him back at around 5am with another friend, Steven Roccas, known as 'Rocky', on June 17 last year.
The inquest heard that the Metropolitan Police attempted to serve a witness summons on Mr Qassim at his last known address.
However officers were informed that he hadn't been living there for more than a year.
Mr Qassim, from Barking, east London, was jailed nine years ago for being the mastermind behind a sophisticated operation to flood Wales with Class A drugs.
He exchanged several WhatsApp messages with MailOnline in the weeks after Jay's death after we exclusively found him but since then has gone quiet.
At the time he said 'The amount of hate I'm getting for something I haven't even done,' adding that he was a 'innocent man'.
In later messages he claimed he had been receiving death threats and said:' I can hold my own but I can't fight a bullet'.
Spanish detectives questioned both him and Mr Roccas at the time of Jay's disappearance but let them go after deeming them 'irrelevant' to what was then a missing person case.
Speaking later on social media after Jay's body had been found Mr Qassim insisted he had no involvement in his death, saying: 'If I'm guilty then arrest me then, what are you on about?
'When you're telling the truth you don't slip up.'
Asked about taking Jay back to the Airbnb, Mr Qassim said: 'No one took no-one bro. He invited himself.'
Questioned by a follower 'Did you punch him' he replied: 'No, of course not.
'He had a tragic accident, you know what it's like.'
During the journey to Masca, Jay sent Snapchat messages to friends saying he had stolen a high-end watch and planned to sell it for £10,000.
Asked about the messages in his online chat last July, Mr Qassim said: 'No one took my watch, bro.
'Why the f*** would I invite someone who took my watch back to mine so they can sleep on the sofa, what are you on about?'
In a podcast interview earlier this year Mr Qassim said he had given Jay a phone charger, a blanket, a towel and some cigarettes before he went upstairs to bed.
But he said when a local awoke him shortly before 8am asking him to move his car which was blocking the road, Jay told him: 'Bro I'm going to get off.'
STEVEN 'ROCKY' ROCCAS
Previously known only as 'Rocky', Steven Roccas' identity was revealed for the first time at yesterday's inquest.
He was renting the remote AirBnb with convicted drug dealer Mr Qassim and accompanied him on the drive back to the village with Jay who had become separated from his friends at the all-night NRG festival in Playa de las Americas.
As with Mr Qassim, officers from the Metropolitan Police attempted to serve a witness summons on him in London but were told he was unknown at the address they had.
Checks were made with a court at which Mr Roccas had recently appeared over an unrelated matter, and discovered he had given an address on the other side of the capital with the same street name.
However officers were told that Mr Roccas had not lived there for some time.
Finally the coroner's team linked business premises with Mr Roccas using an email address he had given Spanish police.
But when police attended, it was shuttered and they were told it had been closed for about three years.
Like Mr Qassim, he was allowed to leave the island after Spanish police ruled him out of the missing person inquiry.
Mr Roccas has not spoken publicly about his involvement with Jay during his final hours, although he appeared in a social media video with Mr Qassim after his body was found.
In a later podcast interview, Mr Qassim said he, Mr Roccas and Jay went for a kebab on the strip before driving back to the Airbnb where they arrived at around 6.30am-6.45am.
He shared a video showing himself and Jay laughing at how Mr Roccas was slumped and asleep in the front passenger seat.
'I ended up waking him up saying 'We're back now',' he said.