Latest news with #JaySlater
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Jay Slater's family hope to get the answers they want as inquest set to resume
An inquest into Jay Slater's death was paused earlier this year after key witnesses failed to attend and Jay's mum, Debbie Duncan, wept and pleaded 'bring these people in front of us" The inquest into the death of Jay Slater will resume next week - after his tearful mum pleaded with key witnesses to attend. Jay, 19, went missing in June last year after attending a music festival in Playa de las Americas in Tenerife. His disappearance sparked intense social media speculation, with wild conspiracy theories spread by online sleuths and trolling of his friends and family. The search came to a tragic end a year ago this week, July 15, four weeks after he vanished, when police discovered his body in a remote ravine. When the inquest started, in May, Preston Coroner's Court heard some of Jay's friends and other witnesses 'could not be located' despite months-long police efforts to find them. His mother Debbie Duncan wept as she asked senior coroner Dr James Adeley to 'bring these people in front of us'. Two of the friends he had travelled to the island with, Lucy Law and Bradley Geoghan (also known as Bradley Hargreaves), were on holiday, the court heard. The Metropolitan Police had also tried to locate Ayub Qassim and Steven Roccas, who were renting an AirBnB which Jay travelled to, but neither man could be found. Miss Duncan said in court: 'How can we ever get any understanding? There's things we want to question. We want 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.' Dr Adeley agreed to pause the hearing saying: 'In view of your distress we will make attempts to find them using whatever means we can.' Now the hearing is due to resume next Thursday (July 24) to hear a further two days of evidence - with Jay's family hoping they will finally get the answers they want. The inquest has already heard Jay, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancs, died after he fell into a ravine in Tenerife. The apprentice bricklayer's body was found by Spanish police in a remote national park on July 15, with severe head injuries consistent with a fall from height. According to toxicology reports and his own messages, Jay had been under the influence of drugs and alcohol, with traces of MDMA, cocaine and ketamine in his system when he died - although it was not clear how long before his death he had taken them. The inquest also heard he sent messages to friends on social media referring to being with 'two kids' who had stolen a 'luxury' watch from someone and had sent a picture of himself with two knives. Jay was driven to the AirBnB in the remote village of Masca, around 22 miles (36km) away from where he was staying. He was last heard from around 8.30am on the morning of June 17, when he called Lucy Law and told her he was lost and had 1% battery on his phone. One witness who did attend, Joshua Forshaw, said he had got chatting to Jay and his friends at the airport. He told the court the last time he saw him was at the Papayago nightclub, which was hosting the NRG music festival, on the night of June 16, 2024. He said: 'It wasn't long after the event had started. He seemed to be in a happy mood, joyful to be there.' The coroner pointed out that in his original statement Mr Forshaw had described Mr Slater as appearing to be 'off his head' on drugs. Mr Forshaw said he believed Jay had drunk a lot of alcohol, but was unsure about what drugs he had taken. He said the last time he saw him Jay told him 'some kids had just took an AP off somebody' and that he was 'on his way to sell it for 10 quid'. He said AP referred to a luxury watch brand and quid was a 'code for a grand [£1,000]'. Hours later, when he was in bed, Mr Forshaw received a video from Jay showing him in an area of mountains, which he said was between 05:50 and 07:20 on June 17. He also told the inquest Jay sent him a picture of himself with 'two knives in his trousers', alongside the caption 'in case it kicks off'. The court also heard a local man, Ramon Hernandez, recalled meeting Jay on the morning of June 17 in Masca. He said Jay asked if a bus or taxi would take him to Los Cristianos, and they told him the next bus was due at 10am and the area did not have a taxi service. Dr Richard Shepherd, a consultant forensic pathologist, told the court Mr Slater's cause of death was likely severe head injury. Asked if there were any signs of restraint or assault he said: 'The patterns of injuries when someone is assaulted or restrained or held or pushed are very different from the types of injuries or patterns I saw with Jay, so I saw nothing to suggest that was the case. ' He said it was not possible to completely rule out a push, as that would not leave a mark, but added there was 'nothing to suggest there was an assault, gripping, holding or anything of that sort'.
Scottish Sun
5 days ago
- Scottish Sun
I was there when Jay Slater's body was found a year ago today – why case still haunts me & what I really think happened
"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. 11 Jay Slater's body was found on July 15, 2024 - 29 days after he went missing Credit: Ian Whittaker 11 The spot where the teenager tragically fell to his death 11 Jay Slater's mum Debbie Duncan with The Sun's Katie Davis Credit: Louis Wood 11 Grief-stricken Debbie wept as she opened up about her beloved son's disappearance and death Credit: Louis Wood 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. But my overriding feeling was one of hope - praying it would bring the closure Jay's courageous family so badly needed. As reporters, we get a lot of stick - and trust me, I have had my fair share. But what is often forgotten is that the overriding purpose of our jobs is to fight for the truth - and filter out misinformation that is all too easily spread in this social media age. It feels like every single person I encounter has their theory on what happened to Jay - largely and sadly, informed by keyboard warriors. JAY SLATER KATIE DAVIS PTC I shut them down before they unleashed a rant at me, spewing idle comments they've picked up from going down a rabbit hole on Facebook or TikTok. Naturally, I am asked for my opinion. I'm cautious to give my judgement on stories I cover - not least to give naive minds anything to latch onto. But deep down, my gut is - and has always been - that this is a very tragic story of a British tourist falling to their death on holiday. This was a 19-year-old lad away from home for the first time with pals who, yes, drank, took drugs and probably had a bit too much fun. I feel logic is the main component missing from most trolls' arguments. Jay had been drinking and had taken drugs, and when he left the Airbnb on the morning of June 17, he had probably not slept for a fair while. Add on top of having alcohol and drugs in your system, being dehydrated, and in an unfamiliar, remote area, it's not the prettiest picture. To make matters worse, the mountainous setting of the Airbnb is hugely unforgiving. 11 Debbie with childhood photos of Jay Credit: Louis Wood 11 Jay pictured beaming in his school uniform Credit: Louis Wood 11 The remote Airbnb that Jay went to after partying Credit: Steve Reigate 11 It's violently hot and windy - enough to make even the most intrepid hiker feel uneasy. Treacherous, stony, winding paths while battling those conditions are not for the faint-hearted, and even I almost lost my footing a few times while walking through the area. Sober and rested, you will probably be fine if you're careful. But for Jay, that wasn't the case - and it ultimately cost him his life. Yet the judgement coming from pathetic wannabe detectives is almost laughable. I can guarantee almost every single crank who mindlessly taps out their thoughts has found themselves in questionable situations after drinking or taking drugs in their youth. And still, a year on, obsessive trolls continue to attempt to make out that something that happened in those final hours was linked to his death. But I am certain Jay fell accidentally. 'Cruel trolls didn't know my Jay' JAY Slater's brave mum Debbie last year hit back at critics and trolls. Just days after Jay's funeral last August, heartbroken Debbie paid tribute to him as a 'loving and popular' 19-year-old who 'had the world at his feet'. She told how Jay was devoted to his family and friends, would always dance at events and had taken her to see Bob Marley film One Love before his tragic disappearance. Debbie told The Sun: "Jay was just a lovely boy with a massive personality. 'Everybody just loved Jay being in his company - family, friends and work. 'He was loving and popular, always full of fun and smiling – and the main guy in the group. "The people saying stuff about him didn't know Jay and they don't know us. 'He hasn't been here to defend himself against all these horrible stories that were going on around the world about him. 'He worked hard, and then at weekends, he loved spending time with his friends. 'But he loved being at home as well. 'He liked cooking and was always in the kitchen with me every night." READ MORE HERE His decisions beforehand may have led him to that, but it doesn't change the fact that he fell. So I wish these idiotic flame-baiters would just leave his family alone and stop causing them further heartache by blindly attempting to connect what he did on his final night out to his death. Yes, Jay's family still desperately deserve answers to those questions hanging over about what actually happened in his last hours. But frankly, armchair detectives have never and will never help - and to be honest, I never bought into the ones claiming that's all they were trying to do. My heart bleeds for his mum Debbie, brother Zak and dad Warren, who are still battling for answers after spineless witnesses failed to show up for his inquest earlier this year. It has now been a year since Jay's body was found in a ravine in Rural de Teno National Park - and if the case still haunts me, I can't imagine how his poor family must be suffering every single day. So please, let them find answers on their own terms and without fear of seeing yet more painful lies plastered across social media. 11 Search crews scoured for Jay for days before he was found Credit: Ian Whittaker 11 Jay was an avid footballer as a child Credit: Louis Wood 11 Jay, right, with older brother Zak and mum Debbie Credit: Solarpix
The Sun
5 days ago
- The Sun
I was there when Jay Slater's body was found a year ago today – why case still haunts me & what I really think happened
"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. 11 11 11 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. But my overriding feeling was one of hope - praying it would bring the closure Jay's courageous family so badly needed. As reporters, we get a lot of stick - and trust me, I have had my fair share. But what is often forgotten is that the overriding purpose of our jobs is to fight for the truth - and filter out misinformation that is all too easily spread in this social media age. It feels like every single person I encounter has their theory on what happened to Jay - largely and sadly, informed by keyboard warriors. JAY SLATER KATIE DAVIS PTC I shut them down before they unleashed a rant at me, spewing idle comments they've picked up from going down a rabbit hole on Facebook or TikTok. Naturally, I am asked for my opinion. I'm cautious to give my judgement on stories I cover - not least to give naive minds anything to latch onto. But deep down, my gut is - and has always been - that this is a very tragic story of a British tourist falling to their death on holiday. This was a 19-year-old lad away from home for the first time with pals who, yes, drank, took drugs and probably had a bit too much fun. I feel logic is the main component missing from most trolls' arguments. Jay had been drinking and had taken drugs, and when he left the Airbnb on the morning of June 17, he had probably not slept for a fair while. Add on top of having alcohol and drugs in your system, being dehydrated, and in an unfamiliar, remote area, it's not the prettiest picture. To make matters worse, the mountainous setting of the Airbnb is hugely unforgiving. 11 11 11 It's violently hot and windy - enough to make even the most intrepid hiker feel uneasy. Treacherous, stony, winding paths while battling those conditions are not for the faint-hearted, and even I almost lost my footing a few times while walking through the area. Sober and rested, you will probably be fine if you're careful. But for Jay, that wasn't the case - and it ultimately cost him his life. Yet the judgement coming from pathetic wannabe detectives is almost laughable. I can guarantee almost every single crank who mindlessly taps out their thoughts has found themselves in questionable situations after drinking or taking drugs in their youth. And still, a year on, obsessive trolls continue to attempt to make out that something that happened in those final hours was linked to his death. But I am certain Jay fell accidentally. 'Cruel trolls didn't know my Jay' JAY Slater's brave mum Debbie last year hit back at critics and trolls. Just days after Jay's funeral last August, heartbroken Debbie paid tribute to him as a 'loving and popular' 19-year-old who 'had the world at his feet'. She told how Jay was devoted to his family and friends, would always dance at events and had taken her to see Bob Marley film One Love before his tragic disappearance. Debbie told The Sun: "Jay was just a lovely boy with a massive personality. 'Everybody just loved Jay being in his company - family, friends and work. 'He was loving and popular, always full of fun and smiling – and the main guy in the group. "The people saying stuff about him didn't know Jay and they don't know us. 'He hasn't been here to defend himself against all these horrible stories that were going on around the world about him. 'He worked hard, and then at weekends, he loved spending time with his friends. 'But he loved being at home as well. 'He liked cooking and was always in the kitchen with me every night." His decisions beforehand may have led him to that, but it doesn't change the fact that he fell. So I wish these idiotic flame-baiters would just leave his family alone and stop causing them further heartache by blindly attempting to connect what he did on his final night out to his death. Yes, Jay's family still desperately deserve answers to those questions hanging over about what actually happened in his last hours. But frankly, armchair detectives have never and will never help - and to be honest, I never bought into the ones claiming that's all they were trying to do. My heart bleeds for his mum Debbie, brother Zak and dad Warren, who are still battling for answers after spineless witnesses failed to show up for his inquest earlier this year. It has now been a year since Jay's body was found in a ravine in Rural de Teno National Park - and if the case still haunts me, I can't imagine how his poor family must be suffering every single day. So please, let them find answers on their own terms and without fear of seeing yet more painful lies plastered across social media. 11 11 What happened to Jay Slater? JAY Slater flew to the Spanish island last June to attend the NRG music festival in Playa de las Americas with two friends, Lucy Law and Brad Hargreaves. The teen travelled to an Airbnb apartment in Masca with two men - including convicted drug dealer Ayub Qassim - in the early hours of June 17. Jay posted a final Snapchat picture of himself smoking on the doorstep of the apartment at 7.30am on June 17 before leaving at around 8am. Jay, of Oswaldtwistle, Lancs, made a heartbreaking final call to friend Lucy saying he had cut his leg, was lost, dehydrated and had just one per cent battery on his phone after he left the Airbnb. He 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 an inquest in May 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 to 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".
Wales Online
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Jay Slater and Nottingham attacks documentaries to air on Channel 4
Jay Slater and Nottingham attacks documentaries to air on Channel 4 he Disappearance Of Jay Slater will follow the story of the youngster who went missing in Tenerife Jay Slater's disappearance captured the nation last summer (Image: Supplied ) A documentary about British teenager Jay Slater, who died last year, and another about the 2023 Nottingham attacks are among the new factual programmes due to air on Channel 4. The Disappearance Of Jay Slater will follow the story of the youngster who went missing in Tenerife in 2024 and was found later dead, with exclusive access to film Mr Slater's post-mortem and funeral. The crew behind the documentary have been making it in collaboration with Mr Slater's family, with the programme also set to look at the conspiracy theories that stemmed from the story, the online abuse that the family still receive and the media coverage of the story. Rita Daniels, Channel 4 commissioning editor, said: "The story of Jay Slater captured the nation last summer with a fervour and intensity fuelled by armchair detectives and internet culture. "We are so glad to be working with Anna on a sensitively handled exploration of the family's experience, and understanding the impact of being in the middle of a social media storm, amplified by grief. "The film holds a light up to our current society and is exactly the story that is a necessity for Channel 4 to tell." Article continues below Produced by Candour Productions, it will also look at the world of online armchair detectives and the consequences of their actions. Another Channel 4 documentary, The Nottingham Attacks, will follow the families of Ian Coates, Barnaby Webber and Grace O'Malley-Kumar, who were killed in a fatal knife attack by Valdo Calocane, a man who was known to police and mental health services, in 2023. The 90-minute show, produced by Banijay UK's documentaries label, DSP Films, will look at the families' campaign for truth and justice following the killings, and the way their confidence in the NHS and police was impacted by the incident. Anna Miralis, Channel 4 senior commissioning editor, said: "Channel 4 has an outstanding reputation for bold, topical and incredible access documentaries and The Nottingham Attacks is without doubt testament to this. "Boasting a stalwart of incredibly talented filmmakers, I am sure this will be an extremely powerful and sensitively considered documentary. "This is a vital and timely piece of storytelling of an appalling crime and will highlight the unimaginable impact it had on these remarkable families and show their unwavering desire to expose the truth." The channel is also due to release a documentary, produced by Passion Pictures, on the crimes of John Smyth, a senior figure at a Christian charity, who inflicted abuse on as many as 130 boys and young men. His crimes began in his family home and escalated over decades and across continents until he was eventually revealed by church insiders, with a review finding his crimes were covered up by senior church officials. Ms Miralis added: "This important film, made by a team of remarkable documentary makers, demonstrates the Channel's unflinching commitment to tackle difficult subject matter and provide the opportunity to those who have been silenced to speak out and share their experiences. Article continues below "This is the deeply disturbing story of a man who was able to escape culpability and evade justice, and pays tribute to the courage of those deeply affected. Passion has worked hard to build trust and ensure incredible access." The release dates for the standalone shows have not yet been announced.
Daily Mail
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Jay Slater's post-mortem will feature in Channel 4 documentary investigating conspiracy theories around the case and the online abuse suffered by his family
Jay Slater's post-mortem and funeral will feature in a new Channel 4 documentary that will look into conspiracy theories surrounding the case. The Disappearance Of Jay Slater will follow the story of the 19-year-old who vanished in Tenerife last June - only to be found dead a month later at the bottom of a ravine on the Spanish party island. The film, which has been made in collaboration with Mr Slater's family, will include exclusive access to his post-mortem and funeral. It is also set to look at the conspiracy theories that stemmed from the story, the online abuse that the family still receive and the media coverage of the case. Mr Slater's disappearance last summer sparked a global internet storm - with armchair detectives sparking wild theories as to what happened to him. Rita Daniels, Channel 4 commissioning editor, said: 'The story of Jay Slater captured the nation last summer with a fervour and intensity fuelled by armchair detectives and internet culture. 'We are so glad to be working with Anna on a sensitively handled exploration of the family's experience, and understanding the impact of being in the middle of a social media storm, amplified by grief. 'The film holds a light up to our current society and is exactly the story that is a necessity for Channel 4 to tell.' Produced by Candour Productions, it will also look at the world of online armchair detectives and the consequences of their actions. It comes after celebrity investigator Mark Williams-Thomas last week revealed the first full witness account from the last person to see Mr Slater alive. According to the extraordinary new account, the 19-year-old armed himself with two knives and stole a bag of ketamine before fleeing an AirBnB on Tenerife. Mr Williams-Thomas found that those around Mr Slater on the night he disappeared spoke of him having taken a cocktail of drugs that left him 'on a mission'. Extraordinarily the TV investigator managed to track down two key witnesses in the case - just a month after the coroner officially appointed to investigate Mr Slater's death expressed exasperation that the police had been unable to find the same pair. Those witnesses include Ayub Qassim - the man who the apprentice bricklayer from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire accompanied back to an AirBnB after staying up all night on drugs following a music festival. Convicted drug dealer Qassim, 31, is understood to be was the last person to see the apprentice bricklayer before he vanished in mountains high above the village of Masca and had been due to give evidence at his inquest last month but the coroner said he could not be traced. In the two part podcast called Jay Slater The Investigation, Williams-Thomas underlines how Qassim served a nine-year jail term after being convicted in 2015, following the smashing of a plot to flood the streets of Cardiff with Class A drugs. Speaking to Williams-Thomas, Qassim describes how he had picked up Lucy Law and two friends Bradley Hargreaves and Brandon Hodgson, and they went to look for Jay after she had contacted him on social media. In the podcast, Williams Thomas says: 'What Qassim said next was really significant and I believe provides real context to a very number of important aspects of this case.' Qassim tells him: 'They were just doing my head in, one said. 'That's the two bottles of Henny [Hennessy cognac], they were just doing my head in. 'In the end I just turned to Brandon and said:' Look Brandon, one of your mates, yesterday walked way because he's f**** off with the ket [ketamine] and he want missing. Tell this f****** idiot to get back in the car.' Williams-Thomas says: 'So, let's just re hear that again,' before playing the clip once more, and then adding:' I believe this is really significant new information. 'When Qassim said ket, he was referring to ketamine and my information is that this drug was readily available and that Jay had definitely been using it. Search and rescue teams hunt for missing Jay Slater last summer 'I have further information about the supply of ketamine into the country, in the UK ketamine is a class B drug carrying a maximum of five years sentence for possession and 14 years for supply.' Williams-Thomas adds: 'So, Qassim says in the recording that Jay left the rental on the morning and took with him Qassim's ketamine. 'If you wonder why we've not heard this before, his police statement of course made no mention of this. 'My intelligence, however, is that the rental location was specifically chosen so as not to being attention to nay illegal activity.' The release date for Channel 4's new show is yet to be announced.
