Jay, 19, from Lancashire, was last seen in the small village of Masca, in the north-west of the island of Tenerife, before a huge search operation was launched to find him

Jay Slater and his mum Debbie Duncan (Image: Facebook)

The locations of some friends of Jay Slater have been disclosed after they failed to attend an inquest into the teenager’s death. Jay, a 19-year-old apprentice bricklayer from Oswaldtwistle in Lancashire, had jetted off to Tenerife with mates last June for the NRG music festival in Playa de las Americas.

Following the event on June 17, Jay journeyed with two men to an Airbnb in the Rural de Teno national park, but decided to walk back to his friends’ apartment a few hours later.

He rang one of his pals stating he was lost, parched, and his mobile was down to one percent battery, but never made it back to the flat. He was reported missing shortly afterwards, triggering a massive search operation to find the young man.

After a month-long hunt, Jay’s body was discovered in a ravine on July 15 last year, close to where his phone last signalled. A post-mortem examination determined that he died from traumatic head injuries, consistent with a fall from height.

An inquest into his death was opened last month by Lancashire’s Senior Coroner Dr James Adeley. However, crucial witnesses were absent, leaving Jay’s family still seeking answers nearly a year after his passing, reports the Liverpool Echo.

Lucy Law, Brandon Hargreaves, Brandon Hodgson and two men who stayed at a rented AirBnB the night before he vanished, spoke to local and British press during the search for the teenager, according to The Mirror.

Some individuals connected to the case have been located, though a date for the inquest to continue is yet to be set.

Lucy Law

Lucy Law, a friend who vacationed with Jay from Lancashire, played an instrumental role in initial search efforts and supported his family upon their arrival. When Jay’s body was discovered, Lucy shared her sorrow online: “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.”

Despite attending the funeral, Lucy did not attend the inquest, with recent reports indicating she’s returned to Tenerife for a holiday. Her stepfather said she was also on holiday when called to provide evidence earlier this year, with the family being unaware of the inquest.

Bradley Hargreaves

Bradley Hargreaves, another of Jay’s friends from Lancashire, has spoken to the media after searches were carried out for Jay. Known as Bradley Geoghegan, he was identified as the recipient of a location signal from Jay pinpointing him near the village of Masca on the fateful day of June 17.

He also posted a heartfelt tribute upon learning of the discovery, writing: “Nothing be the same without you. Rest easy brother. Love you always.”

He didn’t attend the inquest as he had previously informed the coroner that he’d be overseas on a holiday booked since last October. It’s understood he may now be in Greece.

Brandon Hodgson

Joining Jay on the trip to Tenerife was the third friend from Lancashire, Brandon Hodgson, who happens to be one of the last people Jay communicated with prior to his disappearance. Mark Williams-Thomas, an investigator, said that Brandon, now aged 20, received a text from Jay stating: “I’ve started walking.”

In further conversation, Brandon recounted: “He was laughing at first, then he sent me his location. On the phone he said to me ‘I’ve been walking for half an hour’, I told him to go back and he said, ‘I’ve already been walking for half an hour, I’m not going back, I don’t want to go back, I just want to go home’.”

Following events, Lancashire Police officers served him a witness summons at his address ahead of the inquest without receiving a response. Like the others in Jay’s circle, he too is found to be on holiday abroad, yet his exact whereabouts remain unconfirmed.

Ayub Qassim

Ayub Qassim, a British national albeit not an acquaintance from home, had welcomed Jay to his rented AirBnB in Masca, Tenerife, the night before the young Brit’s disappearance. The 31-year-old, who has a past conviction for dealing drugs and is also tagged as “Johnny Vegas”, permitted Jay to stay overnight.

When Jay mentioned that “this woman told me I can get a bus every 10 minutes”, Mr Qassim is said to have recounted to investigator Mark Williams-Thomas: “I told him that he’s mad, there’s no bus that’s coming here every 10 minutes, chill out for a bit and I’ll drop you off later on. He said, ‘No, no I’ve got to go to Los Cristianos, I need to scram, I need to chip out’. There’s nothing more that I could do.

Ayub Qassim invited Jay Slater back to his rented holiday cottage after a rave in Tenerife hours before he vanished on June 17, 2024

I” saw him walk off maybe down the steps. I maybe shut the door and said if you need me…” However, Qassim became a person of interest when the Metropolitan Police attempted to issue him a witness summons at his last known residence in Barking, East London.

When they arrived, neighbours informed them he was no longer living there and had relocated abroad. Meanwhile, Steven “Rocky” Roccas, who was staying with Mr Qassim at the Masca AirBnB, remained under the radar while Qassim gave his account regarding the last time he saw Jay.

His identity came to light publicly for the first time during the inquest into Jay’s disappearance.

Metropolitan Police officers attempted to serve him a witness summons at his London address, only to discover he no longer lived there. They later traced him to a business through an email address he had given to the Spanish police.

However, the business was closed – reportedly for three years – and Mr Roccas remains elusive.