Latest news with #DebbieDuncan
BBC News
4 days ago
- BBC News
What Jay Slater inquest told us about 19-year-old's disappearance
As the inquest into Jay Slater's death concluded, key details of his last hours were 19-year-old, from Oswaldtwistle in Lancashire, went missing in Tenerife in June 2024 after attending a music body was found in a remote national park in a steep and inaccessible area by a mountain rescue team at the end of a 29-day inquest at Preston Coroner's Court began in May, but was adjourned after a plea from Mr Slater's mother that key witnesses who were with him on the night he disappeared should be made to attend. While some witnesses came forward, the court was not able to contact Brandon Hodgson and Stephen Roccas, who were with Mr Slater before he went hearing all the evidence, coroner Dr James Adeley ruled that "Jay Dean Slater died an accidental death" without third-party influence, after a fall in a "particularly dangerous area" that resulted in skull fractures and brain trauma that killed him instantly. 'Our hearts are broken' Mr Slater was an apprentice bricklayer on his first holiday with his friends, flying to Tenerife to attend the NRG music festival in Playa de las Americas on 16 June at his inquest, mum Debbie Duncan said he was "a bundle of fun with a constant smile", adding he "always made new friends wherever he went".She said: "He had a large circle of good friends who have been left devastated at his tragic death."He was very loved and our hearts are broken. Our lives will never be the same without Jay."On the night itself, Mr Slater's friends went home, but they said he appeared to want to continue to party after taking drugs and got into a car with two men he had met on the holiday and was driven to an Airbnb in the remote village of Masca, about 22 miles (36km) away from where he was friend Bradley Geoghegan told the inquest he felt the Mr Slater "probably got there and thought, 'Why am I here?' sobered up and decided to come back."Mr Geoghegan said he had told him to get a taxi back, but he decided to walk back - even though it was a 14-hour journey and he had been offered a lift the following his friends searching the area, there was no sign of Mr Slater, and he didn't return to his was reported missing to Spanish police on 18 police and mountain rescue teams began searching and his mother and brother boarded a flight to Tenerife. 'Mark on him' Mr Geoghegan told the two-day inquest that he last saw his friend at about 02:40 BST on 17 June 2024. Mr Slater had sent him a text message claiming he had been refused entry to Papagayo nightclub and claimed it was because "they had a mark on him".Mr Geoghegan confirmed during the hearing that the refusal of entry to the nightclub was because Mr Slater "couldn't stand up". He added that he walked outside to meet his friend and that in "the fresh air he could now stand and wasn't so bad".He also confirmed Mr Slater had taken ecstasy and cocaine and may have taken ketamine too. Missing data Lancashire Police Det Ch Insp Rachel Higson, a specialist in the Digital Department, told the inquest about her analysis of the teenager's phone. An iPhone 14 was found on the body, and it was confirmed to be Mr Slater's by the telephone and email address on it. It was confirmed during the inquest that before an examination of the phone could take place, some information and messages were lost due to "blocking of various people on various social media sites". The coroner added this was "not a criticism or any form of censure but simply an explanation that some of the data was not available to interpret".Det Ch Insp Higson said various messages on the phone confirmed that Mr Slater had separated from his friends at some point during the early hours of the morning. Lucy Law Lucy Law, who had known Mr Slater for about six years, was the last person to speak to him on the told the inquest at about 02:00 BST on the day of his disappearance, Mr Slater left her and her friends, who had been together on the dancefloor of a then tried to find she eventually saw him she told him they had been worried about him, but "he just found the situation funny".She said a friend had later called her to say he was in the mountains and did not have much phone battery after he had left an said she thought it was a joke until her friend said it was more serious."I thought they were having me on," she said. In a subsequent phone call with Mr Slater - the last known outgoing communication from his phone - she asked him where he was and what he was told her he had missed a bus and decided to walk the 14-hour journey home but was lost, needed water and his phone had only 1% of its battery life told her he was "in the middle of the mountains" and there was "literally nothing" around."By this stage, I'm panicking," she told the inquest, adding she had urged him to go back to where he came last phone call lasted just 22 seconds and cut off suddenly. The hearing heard it is possible that at such low battery levels the phone terminated the he didn't return, she set up a fundraising page and urged the police to start a search. Body found Spanish police had had an approximate location for the search, the Rural de Teno park, because Mr Slater's phone had pinged off a mast. The search large scale search involved helicopters, drones, rescue teams and dogs, with crews working through difficult terrain and having to hack through thick vegetation with machetes. With steep ravines and cliffs across the landscape, the Spanish authorities deployed helicopter crews, specially trained search dogs and Slater's friends and family also 15 July, the teams searched the treacherous Juan Lopez Ravine - a little-used area with no water - and found Mr Slater's body. Around 66ft (20m) above where the body was found, Mr Slater's bag, with his phone and gas canisters inside, was Spanish authorities said they could not explain why Mr Slater "took a chance" by leaving the road to descend down the the sea could be seen from the head of the ravine, and they suggested he may have believed he could reach a beach and get report said: "It would be easy to slip on the rocks and fall into the void."Through fingerprint testing, the body was confirmed by the police and Canary Islands Higher Court of Justice to be Mr injuries were consistent with a fall on to rocky ground from height. Lack of suitable clothing Coroner Dr James Adeley said contributing factors to the fall might have been a lack of suitable clothing, lack of sleep and lack of mountain training, as well as potential after-effects from drugs Mr Slater had impact of the skull was enough to cause non-survivable brain injuries, even if he received immediate medical help and death was likely instant, he were fractures on his pelvis in multiple coroner said he hoped it was of "some consolation to the family" that Mr Slater would not have been in concluding the inquest, the coroner said there was "every indication Jay's friends were concerned about him", adding they "made efforts to find him and persuade him to return"."In particular Lucy Law made repeated attempts to find Jay on the evening and look after his welfare, "As Jay is an adult, he has every right to ignore such concerns and to make his own decisions," he added. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on BBC Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.
The Sun
4 days ago
- The Sun
Jay Slater's mum's court plea left me in tears…after our chats, her fury at trolls will endure despite coroner's closure
A TEAR rolled down my cheek today as the powerful words of Jay Slater's mum tugged on the heartstrings of all those at his inquest. Enduring the agony of your son not returning from his first holiday with friends is one thing, but to do it at the mercy of trolls is unimaginable. 10 10 Jay's family have been relentlessly hounded for more than a year now by frankly moronic wannabe sleuths desperate to give their useless opinion to any fool who will listen. Endless conspiracy theory groups run by spineless armchair detectives cropped up all over social media. Did they have a clue what they were talking about? Absolutely not. I have never seen such pathetic cries for attention. Imagine having such a low moral compass to not only lap up baseless theories, but to also take the time to write such spurious, wildly unhelpful posts yourself. What has really made my blood boil over the last 13 months is the trolling Jay's family have been forced to suffer. Posting your ridiculous thoughts on social media is bad enough. But to actually directly contact his grief-stricken relatives? That's downright despicable. I've seen firsthand the categorically vile abuse Jay's mum Debbie Duncan received. When I met with her days after Jay's funeral last August, she showed me a handwritten letter that arrived at her home address that morning. Jay Slater's pal reveals chilling last text she sent him before he died as key witness 'unwilling to give evidence' The anonymous female sender - naturally too shallow to even reveal her name - asked Debbie why she went to "all that fuss" for Jay's funeral. Sickeningly, the sender - also a mother herself - crowed about her own sons and claimed they had been "brought up properly". I hope she hangs her head in shame and her sons one day find out how their own mother cruelly taunted another mum during her darkest moments. Debbie told how she had been sent thousands of messages; been bombarded with calls and even sent ransom notes by twisted trolls. Mum-of-two Debbie said to me through tears at the time: 'I don't even have the words to describe how sick these individuals are.' And try as I might, neither do I. As a journalist, I've covered countless stories over the years and spoken to many grief-stricken families - with no story any less important than the ones before. But watching on in Tenerife as Jay's family battled for answers broke my heart - especially when I could see just how horrendous the abuse they were suffering was. Even after Jay's body was found, it felt like they still hadn't got the closure they so desperately deserved as theories ran rife on social media. Finally, a year after Jay's body was found, Debbie, Jay's dad Warren and brother Zak gained some closure from his inquest. Three witnesses who failed to turn up to an initial hearing in May filled in some gaps in the picture of his final hours, which I hope gave them some comfort. As for those called up who didn't even have the decency to help Jay's family understand what happened to him, I hope you are forever haunted by your lack of conscience. Although the coroner today correctly dispelled spiteful claims about Jay's behaviour, I can only imagine that the scars from the incessant trolling will forever run deep. Jay didn't steal a watch, he didn't have knives in his shorts and he didn't leave the Airbnb for any untoward reason. 10 10 10 He was a young lad having the time of his life on holiday, and sadly, yes, did make some decisions such as taking drugs, that ultimately led to his accidental death. But does that make him a bad person? Does that make it fair for you to bully his family? The answer is, and has always been, no. Please now, leave Jay's family alone. They deserve peace after the torment they have suffered for so long, on top of their grief. Brave Debbie showed admirable resilience today as, through tears, she reminded the public that Jay was a real person. "He may have been a story for the past 13 months - a story full of many untruths," she said. "He did touch the hearts of the nation and that overwhelms us. "We ask you now to please let Jay rest in eternal peace." I can only pray everyone takes heed of her plea.
Sky News
4 days ago
- Sky News
Jay Slater suffered 'accidental death', inquest finds - all we learnt from hearing
The death of teenager Jay Slater has been ruled as "accidental" after an inquest. The 19-year-old, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, disappeared on 17 June 2024 on the Spanish island of Tenerife after attending the NRG music festival. He was reported missing and, after an extensive search and rescue mission and significant media attention, his body was found a month later on 15 July. Jay Slater's inquest as it happened An inquest into the teenager's death took place on 24 and 25 July at Preston Coroner's Court, after first being adjourned in May. Dr James Adeley, a senior coroner for Lancashire and Blackburn with Darwen, concluded that Mr Slater died "an accidental death". He said he fell while trying to descend a ravine, which resulted in fatal skull trauma. Here is everything we learned from the inquests in May and July which heard from experts, friends who were on holiday with Mr Slater and a testimony from his mother Debbie Duncan. Why happened during the inquest in May? The first inquest heard from Home Office pathologist Dr Richard Shepherd, who said Mr Slater's injuries were "entirely consistent" with a fall from a great height and gave an official cause of death as a head injury. He said there was no suggestion that the teenager had been assaulted or restrained. Toxicology expert Dr Stephanie Martin said traces of MDMA and MDA, commonly known as ecstasy, along with cocaine and alcohol, were also found in Mr Slater's body. Dr James Adeley decided to adjourn the inquest to July after a number of witnesses who had been asked to give evidence could not be traced or were unable to attend. Mr Slater's mother Ms Duncan told the court in May that she wanted "these people to be sat in front of us, because our son went on holiday and didn't come back, so there's questions we need to ask". Slater took a mixture of drugs and alcohol Bradley Geoghegan and Lucy Law, who were with Mr Slater on holiday, gave evidence to the court when it resumed in July. Mr Geoghegan told the court the trio landed in Tenerife on 13 June last year and met up with their friend, Brandon Hodgson. While they were out that night, the group met Ayoub Qassim and Stephen Roccus, who were staying at the Airbnb Mr Slater travelled to in the village of Masca, before his disappearance. On the night of 16 June, the day before Mr Slater disappeared, Mr Geoghegan said he had taken ecstasy pills and possibly ketamine, along with cocaine and alcohol. Mr Slater 'on the buzz' and 'happy' before disappearance Appearing at the inquest via video link, Mr Qassim, who Mr Slater stayed with before he disappeared, described the teenager as "on the buzz" in the early hours of 17 June, the day he went missing. At roughly 5am, after a night of partying, Mr Qassim was with Mr Slater and other friends going between a club and a food spot. "Jay was on the buzz, head bopping, chill, happy, mingling innit," he told the coroner. Asked if he would have trusted Mr Slater to drive a car in his state then, Mr Qassim said "nah". Mr Qassim said Mr Slater had asked to come back to the Masca Airbnb where he and his friend Mr Roccas were staying as everyone else had left. He told the inquest he went to bed when they returned and could hear Mr Slater downstairs. He was woken about an hour later because he needed to move his car and when he returned to the house Mr Slater was leaving and said he was going to catch a bus. Me Qassim said: "I went 'bro, there ain't no buses coming here any time soon'." He said Mr Slater left, despite him explaining that buses did not pass regularly. "At that point I presumed he'd sit at that bus stop and that's it. He's waiting till the first bus comes and he's out of there." 'I told him to chill… now he's gone missing' When questioned by family barrister Lois Norris, if he can remember any calls he received on the day Mr Slater disappeared, Mr Qassaim said he only vividly remembers being told he had gone missing. Pointing out he'd only slept for one hour - and that he had suggested to Mr Slater that he should stay at their place, rather than take a bus - Mr Qassim said: "I'm sort of annoyed, thinking 'f****** hell I need some sleep. "I said: 'Bro, I told him to chill, and now you're telling me he's gone missing'." Slater called friends before his phone died Having left the Airbnb, it is believed Mr Slater attempted to make the 14-hour walk back to the main Veronicas Strip. During this walk, coroner Dr Adeley said the teenager called Brandon Hodgson "laughing and joking". Moments later, he called Mr Geoghegan on Snapchat, during which he told Mr Slater to get a taxi. Mr Geoghegan said: "I said put your maps on to see how far you were. It was like a 14-hour walk or an hour drive. I said, 'Get a taxi back', then he just goes, 'I will ring you back'." Mr Slater then called Ms Law saying he didn't know where he was with mountains "all around". He said he needed a drink and was "frightened" but said he could not go back to the Airbnb, without expanding on why. Ms Law told the court: "By this stage, I'm panicking." Lack of sleep, training, water and poor judgement Excerpts of information from the Spanish authorities were read out in court by Dr Adeley, including from the local Mountain Rescue services. It said on the 29th day of the search for Mr Slater, they took to the treacherous Juan Lopez Ravine, where his body was later found. 1:03 Dr Adeley explained that the teenager's body was found eight metres above a dry stream bed, with mountain rescue crews estimating he fell between 20 and 25 metres. "It was acknowledged the area was mountainous with inaccessible areas," Dr Adeley said in court. The coroner says that there was "very rough terrain" at the point where the fall occurred. He adds that factors contributing to Slater's fall were a lack of training, poor judgement, a lack of sleep and a lack of water. 'Our lives will never be the same' Speaking at the inquest, Mr Slater's mother, Debbie Duncan, said the lives of their family will "never be the same without Jay in it". "Not in a million years could we predict what was going to unfold," she said. "He was learning to drive and had so many plans and a bright future ahead of him." He "touched the hearts of the nation", Ms Duncan continued, asking that he be allowed to "rest in eternal peace".
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Jay Slater's mum says tragic teen was 'joy to be around - our hearts are broken'
Debbie Duncan told the inquest probing her son's death that Jay was a 'joy to be around' and recounted the hopes and dreams the 19-year-old held before his tragic Tenerife death Jay Slater's mum has remembered her late son as a "joy to be around" in a heartbreaking tribute issued before a coroner delivered a cause of death at the tragic teen's inquest. Debbie Duncan said hers and her family's lives would "never be the same" without him while providing a statement to the inquest at Preston Coroner's Court. The mum, 55, was among members of the 19-year-old's family who jetted to Tenerife after he went missing, triggering a massive search operation that attracted international attention, last year, and had taken a central role in calling for witnesses to come forward during the inquest's initial stages earlier this year. With several of Jay 's acquaintances, including others who assisted in the search efforts before he was found dead at the bottom of the Juan López ravine in Buenavista del Norte, having now come forward, she told of the devastating impact of her son's death before a coroner issued a cause of death. Speaking to the inquest today, Ms Duncan remembered her son as "a joy to be around", adding he had a "wonderful life full of fun" before he died last year. She said: "Our hearts are broken. Not in a million years could we predict what was going to unfold." She added her son had been "counting down the days" before leaving for Tenerife, where he would attend the NRG Music Festival before he went missing on June 18 last year. Sjhe continued: "Jay had a wonderful life full of fun and was always a joy to be around. He was always a popular boy and had many, many friends." She continues: "He loved his family very much and wasn't afraid to show affection." Ms Duncan also described her son's hopes and joys, stating he was excited to finish a bricklaying apprenticeship and loved football. She added the teenager was also learning to drive and "had so many plans and a bright future ahead of him". She concluded: "Our hearts are broken. Our lives will never be the same without Jay in it. Jay was a loving son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin and loyal friend to many." Ultimately, the mum said, Jay "touched the hearts of the nation". Coroner Dr James Adeley ruled today that Jay died last year after falling from a height, with the teen plummeting around 20 to 25 metres into the Tenerife ravine where he was found, leading to an "accidental death". A coroner ruled today that Jay died while attempting to descend a ravine, and had "died instantly" when he suffered from significant skull trauma. Dr Adeley said: "Jay fell at a particularly dangerous area in difficult terrain. He fell approximately 20 to 25 metres, suffering skull fractures and brain trauma from which he would have died instantaneously. Jay Dean Slater died an accidental death. 'This is a tragic death of a young man.' He added: "Jay Slater died an accidental death." The coroner also determined there was "no third party involved".
The Sun
5 days ago
- The Sun
Jay Slater's best friends shed new light on tragedy – as inquest to hear from hols pal who was the last to see him alive
THE inquest into Jay Slater's death had today resumed - two months after the initial hearing left his mum begging for answers. Heartbroken Debbie Duncan pleaded with the coroner to summon crucial witnesses to the stand - including the teen's two friends and the men he went back to an Airbnb with. 2 2 Lucy Law, Brad Hargreaves, Ayub Qassim and Steven Roccas failed to attend the first inquest hearing back in May. Jay's devastated mum Debbie Duncan made an emotional plea to the coroner for vital witnesses to be traced. She said: "There are things that we want to question. We want these people in front of us. "My son went on holiday and didn't come back so there are questions we need to ask. Please." The hearing was adjourned so a final effort could be made to track down crucial witnesses. Lucy is due to give evidence via video link today, while Brad has spoken in person at court. Qassim, one of the final people to see Jay alive, is expected to address the hearing via videolink from another country. The 19-year-old's body was found in a ravine in the remote Rural de Teno National Park last July after an agonising 29-day search. Apprentice bricklayer Jay flew to the Spanish island last June to attend the NRG music festival in Playa de las Americas with two friends, Lucy and Brad. After a night of partying on June 17, the teen travelled to an Airbnb apartment in Masca with two men - convicted drug dealer Qassim and Roccas. Jay, of Oswaldtwistle, Lancs, phoned Brad after he left the Airbnb at around 8am and attempted to make the treacherous walk to his holiday apartment in sweltering heat. The Brit made a heartbreaking final call to Lucy saying he had cut his leg, was lost, dehydrated and had just one per cent battery on his phone. Scroll down to read the latest on the Jay Slater inquest... Today, 09:10 By Georgie English Tenerife hotspot where Jay Slater died is WORSE a year on The streets in notorious Tenerife party town Playa de las Americas, where British teen Jay Slater took a powerful cocktail of drugs before falling to his death is still heaving with blatant criminality. Sun reporters went out to the strip and found people luring tourists into a bar with the promise of 'a free line' of cocaine with their first drink. Two prostitutes in skin-tight bodycon dresses could be seen loitering outside while down the road, 'looky-looky' men circulate, offering Class-A drugs. A police car crawls past, its head-lights on the crowds of holiday-makers, but the officers inside seem blind to the blatant criminality. Student Georgina Haywood, 19, who had just flown in from Manchester with her boyfriend, told us: 'We went into a bar next to KFC and I wouldn't go back again. 'Looky-looky men were all around offering cheap drugs and we've heard if you buy them, they will mug you as soon as they see the cash. 'On the transfer bus over here we were talking to three men who told us they'd been robbed every time they'd come here." Today, 09:04 By Katie Davis Route Jay took was 'steep and dangerous' At the last hearing, Dutch rescue team Signi Zoekhonden told the hearing how the route Jay took was "pretty easy" to begin with but where his body was found is "really steep and dangerous". The volunteers said they "can imagine how Jay thought he was going to make it" from the Airbnb back to the coast. Jay was attempting the treacherous 10-hour walk back to his apartment in Los Cristianos when he called Lucy to say he was lost. DCI Rachel Higson, head of digital media investigations at Lancashire Police, told the hearing that Jay's phone recorded "a lot of steps and inclines" between 7.59am and 8.49am. His mobile last pinged in the mountainous Rural de Teno Park after Jay walked the wrong way from the Airbnb, and DCI Higson said there was "no data recorded" after 8.49:51am. After a month-long search, Jay's body was found in a ravine on July 15 last year - near where his phone last pinged. A post-mortem examination concluded he died of traumatic head injuries, consistent with a fall from height. Home Office pathologist Dr Richard Shepherd told the inquest Jay suffered a "heavy fall from height" and the "devastating" effects would have been "immediate". Today, 09:00 By Katie Davis I was there when Jay's body was found – this is why the case still haunts me "You covered Jay Slater, didn't you?" It's a question I've been asked time and again for the best part of a year now. And every time it makes my stomach churn as their eyes light up, hoping I will lift the lid on the ridiculous conspiracy theories they've lapped up. Jay's story is one I have followed from the moment he went missing in Tenerife on June 17 last year - and it is one of those cases that will never leave me. I was never convinced by the relentless armchair detectives - nor the outlets that regurgitated baseless theories. Outrageous claims include that Jay skipped the island on a yacht, fell foul of a drug cartel, and had been tied up hostage with chains. Jay's grieving mum wept as she opened up to me following his untimely death - and as I looked her in the eyes, I could feel the unspeakable toll of pain she was suffering. I was the only reporter in the mountains of Masca when police confirmed Jay's body had been found, and I can still feel the shock pulsing through me after a long 29-day search. Today, 08:56 By Katie Davis Why was the last hearing adjourned? The last inquest hearing into Jay's death was adjourned after his grieving mum begged the coroner to summon crucial witnesses. Senior Coroner Dr James Adeley told the hearing in May that Lucy is among those who could not be tracked down to give evidence. He said Lucy and Brad - who attended Jay's funeral in Accrington last August - "can't be located". Dr Adeley told Preston Coroner's Court as Jay's family sat in silence: "We can't find them. "They have stopped responding to phone calls. "When drugs are involved in a death, the witnesses are less than forthcoming and do not wish to speak to the authorities." Coroner's officer Alice Swarbrick also revealed extensive attempts to trace other witnesses, including Qassim who the Met Police were unable to locate. Mum Debbie pleaded for the coroner to do more to summon Qassim and the other man Jay went to the Airbnb with, Steven Roccas. Dr Adeley paused the hearing before adjourning it to today.
