Five key points from jay slater inquest

AN INQUEST INTO THE 19-YEAR-OLD'S DEATH GOT UNDERWAY AT PRESTON CROWN COURT TODAY, ALMOST A YEAR ON 17:07, 21 May 2025 As we near the twelve-month mark of the disappearance and death of

Lancashire teen Jay Slater, an inquest got underway at Preston Crown Court on Wednesday (May 21) in the hopes of determining the cause of and circumstances surrounding the apprentice

bricklayer's passing. Jay, a native of Oswaldtwistle, had attended the NRG music festival in the southern part of the island of Tenerife last June. In the early hours of June 17, he

travelled north to an Airbnb in the Rural Parc de Teno - separate from his friends who were staying in Los Cristianos. Having left the property on foot, Jay went missing for four weeks

before his body was found at a section of the Juan Lopez ravine on July 15. The inquest was brought about in an effort to establish the details surrounding the tragedy, but was adjourned

just four hours after it had begun. Here are the five key points from today's hearing, as reported by LancsLive reporter Amy Fenton and the MEN's Stephen Topping: Article continues

below - 'IMMEDIATELY UNCONSCIOUS' - the court heard how the head injury suffered by Jay after his fall from a height along the Juan López ravine would have rendered him

unconscious almost instantly. Home Office pathologist Dr Richard Shepherd told the coroner that Jay suffered several injuries but 'that to the head is by far the most important one in

understanding why Jay died'. - SEARCH FOR 'JOHNNY VEGAS' - coroner's officer Alice Swarbrick was asked to give evidence to describe the extensive attempts she went to in

order to track down a key witness by the name of Ayub Qassim - nicknamed Johnny Vegas. Mr Qassim had rented the Airbnb Jay went back to after the NRG music festival. The court heard how the

coroner's office had gone to significant lengths to locate Mr Qassim - including asking the Metropolitan Police to serve witness summons on him - but their efforts have so far been

unsuccessful. Pleas made by Debbie Duncan - Jay's Mum - to have Mr Qassim present in court led to the coroner, Dr James Adeley, adjourning proceedings. - WATCH STRAP - a witness by the

name of Josh Forshaw made claims to the court that Jay had stolen a Rolex watch worth £12,000 before his disappearance. Jay reportedly sent a message to Josh's phone, which read:

"Ended up getting thrown out with two Mali kids, just took an AP [expensive watch strap] off somebody and was on the way to sell it." Josh added that Jay told him he would sell the

watch strap for '10 quid' - which he claims is slang for £10,000, not £10. Josh also told the inquest that Jay sent him a picture showing 'knives down his trousers' -

which he claims was captioned 'in case it kicks off'. - CONFLICTING TOXICOLOGY REPORTS - the inquest heard the results of both the UK and Spanish toxicology reports. British

toxicologist Dr Stephanie Martin determined that Jay had ecstasy (MDMA) in his system at the time of his death. Also present was a cocaine metabolite, which is present when cocaine is taken

at the same time as the consumption of alcohol. She explained that it is impossible to say exactly when Jay took the drugs but it is 'likely within a day or so of his death'. Dr

Martin also revealed that the Spanish authorities carried out their own tests, which revealed traces of ketamine in Jay's system. She suggested that the 'the time between the two

post mortem investigations' might have contributed to the different findings. - FRIENDS CAN'T BE LOCATED - Dr Adeley explained at the start of proceedings that Jay's friends

who were with him in Tenerife - Lucy Law and Brad Hargreaves - "cannot be located". The coroner said: "We can't find them. They have denied who they are and we have had

police looking for them but we can't find them." Police attempted to serve a witness summons on Lucy Law, but believe that she is currently in Tenerife. The inquest heard how

Bradley Hargreaves is also currently on a holiday which was booked last October. At around 7.30am on the day he disappeared, Jay video called Hargreaves. Article continues below The court

heard how Jay told Brad Hargreaves he didn't have the money for a taxi, to which Bradley said: "Just get a taxi here and then jump out and don't pay for it or we'll

pay." The inquest was adjourned by Dr Adeley at around 3:30pm on Wednesday. It is expected to resume at a date yet to be confirmed.