Jay Slater reportedly stole a watch before his death, as an inquest heard again today while looking into the death of the 19-year-old teen has been looked over today in court proceedings

Jay Slater reportedly stole a Rolex, according to a witness (Image: Instagram)

An inquest into the death of Jay Slater has heard that the British teen reportedly stole a Rolex watch worth around £12,000, which was revealed in a text message.

The inquest has heard Jay sent a message to Josh in which he said: “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.” The witness, Josh Forshaw, resumed in his evidence. He says Jay told him he would sell the watch strap for “10 quid” – which he claims is slang for £10,000, not £10.

It was also mentioned his bank account provider declined two debit card payments made the night before he disappeared. One, at 9.10pm, was for €320, and the second, just one minute later, was for €160.

Josh also told the inquest that Jay sent him a picture showing “knives down his trousers”. The inquest, which is taking place in Preston Coroner’s Court, is being attended by Jay’s family.

Jay’s family and friends attended the inquest(Image: CHRIS NEILL)

In his evidence, Josh said Jay told him he would sell the watch strap. He had the knife as a form of protection, according to Josh.

He admits he didn’t inform Spanish police about this image.

The inquest also heard a text that read: “Just took a £12k Rolly off some **** off to get 10 quid for it now.”

After Josh returned home to the UK, he informed Lancashire Police about the image Jay sent him in which he apparently had knives concealed in his trousers.

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Witness Josh met Jay and his friends as they queued to board the plane from Manchester to Tenerife. Josh later shared contact details with Jay and met the group at the music festival.

Josh said that Jay “seemed dead happy” and that he was “off his head on drugs”. Recently, it was revealed that Jay had drugs in his system before his death.

Toxicologist Dr Stephanie Martin told the inquest that, although tests when someone who has been dead for some time are “extremely challenging”, she determined that Jay had ecstasy in his system at the time of his death when the toxicology report was carried out.

Jay’s father attended the inquest(Image: CHRIS NEILL)

Josh, who said he had drunk “10 to 15 vodka shots” that night, said that Jay asked him to break an MDMA pill in half for him and Bradley. MDMA is also known as ecstasy.

Also present in his system was a cocaine metabolite, which is present when cocaine is taken at the same time as the consumption of alcohol.

The doctor 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”. At the time his body was found, the Spanish authorities also carried out their own toxicology tests, when ketamine was found in Jay’s system.

Adding to this, the inquiry heard that the cause of Jay’s death was down to a head injury. In July last year, his body was found four weeks after the initial missing person report in an inaccessible ravine close to where his mobile location had last been active. At the time, his phone had drained of battery.

The teen had travelled to an Airbnb in the remote Masca village in north-west Tenerife in the early hours of June 17, following a music event. He then left the property intending to walk to the apartment his friends were staying in at Los Cristianos.

Jay Slater £12k Rolex Watch Claim as Inquest Hears of ‘On the Way to Sell It’ Text

A fresh twist has emerged in the mysterious case of Jay Slater, the British teenager who vanished in Tenerife, as an inquest in the UK heard claims that he may have been carrying a high-value Rolex watch—possibly worth up to £12,000—before his disappearance. The court also learned of a cryptic text allegedly sent from Jay’s phone stating he was “on the way to sell it,” raising new questions about his final hours.

Jay, 19, went missing in June in the rugged Masca region of Tenerife after attending a music event. His last known contact with friends and family was a call stating he was lost, had no water, and only a small percentage of phone battery remaining. Despite extensive searches by Spanish authorities, no trace of him has been found, and the investigation remains open but inconclusive.

At a recent inquest hearing in Lancashire, the court reviewed statements and digital evidence collected in the wake of Jay’s disappearance. Among the most notable revelations was the reference to a Rolex watch—believed to be highly valuable—and a message allegedly sent to a friend from Jay’s phone indicating he was en route to sell the item.

The watch itself has not been recovered, and its ownership remains unclear. It is not yet known whether Jay owned the watch, was asked to sell it on behalf of someone else, or if the message was legitimate at all. Authorities have not confirmed the text’s authenticity or determined if it plays a direct role in his disappearance. However, it has prompted investigators to explore whether Jay may have encountered danger related to the watch or the transaction surrounding it.

The introduction of this possible motive complicates an already tangled case, which has been mired in speculation, social media theories, and a lack of hard evidence. The terrain where Jay vanished is known for being extremely difficult to search, with steep ravines, narrow paths, and limited access. Police initially treated the case as a missing persons incident, but as time passed without progress, theories involving foul play gained traction.

The Rolex claim now adds further intrigue. If Jay was indeed carrying the watch or involved in plans to sell it, it raises possibilities of a robbery, a setup, or involvement with individuals who may not have had his best interests at heart.

Jay’s family, who have been critical of the pace and scope of the search in Tenerife, are still pleading for answers. They have called for more transparency and assistance from UK and Spanish authorities, and continue to believe that someone knows more than they’re saying.

The coroner presiding over the inquest emphasized that investigations are still ongoing and that further evidence—particularly from Spanish police—is required before any conclusions can be drawn. For now, the Rolex message remains a mysterious and potentially vital piece of the puzzle.

As the case continues to develop, the public’s focus remains on what happened to Jay Slater, who was last seen full of energy and excitement during what should have been a short holiday in the sun. Instead, it has turned into a months-long mystery, with each new clue raising more questions than answers.

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