Hey guys, those of you who’ve followed my channel for at least a year — especially those who follow my UK cases — will remember the case of Jay Slater, the 19-year-old from Oswaldtwistle, here in the great county of Lancashire. It’s on the other side of Lancaster from me, but he went to Tenerife, one of the Spanish islands, for a music festival in June of last year.

And he disappeared.

He went with two random guys he didn’t know back to an Airbnb in the mountains of Tenerife. He called a couple of friends, said he had 1% battery, that he was thirsty — and then he just vanished. It was weeks before they found his body in a remote part of Tenerife, just outside the tiny village of Masca. On July 15th, he was found at the bottom of a ravine following an extensive search.

There was so much controversy around this case. All sorts of rumors were flying.

Well, today was the inquest.

Here in the UK, if there’s a sudden, unexplained, or unexpected death, the coroner opens a case. It can take a few months, but then there’s an inquest, and the coroner gives the official cause and manner of death after hearing all the evidence.

So, if you just want the cliff notes:
It’s absolutely tragic that the so-called friends Jay was with didn’t even bother to turn up.

The Mirror did a blow-by-blow account in a live blog, so I’m going to go through it now.

Timeline & Key Details from the Inquest:
10:31 a.m. – Jay’s relatives were taken into court, indicating proceedings were about to begin.

10:42 a.m. – Members of the press were brought in.
Jay was just 19 when he went missing during a holiday in Tenerife with friends. He attempted to walk 10 hours back to his accommodation after calling a friend. A massive manhunt was launched, and his body was found 29 days later.

The landlord of the Airbnb saw Jay and reportedly told him where the bus stop was. But Jay went the opposite way. Given the type of drugs found in his system, maybe that explains some of it.

10:54 a.m. – Senior Coroner Dr. James Adeley (yes, the same one who oversaw the Nicola Bulley case in 2023), presided over the inquest. He’s a qualified barrister and medical surgeon — quite the résumé.

This will be one of his final cases before retiring next week.

He said Jay’s friends in Tenerife, Lucy Law and Brandon Hargreaves, could not be located. They’ve denied who they are, and despite police efforts, they haven’t been found.

Remember Brandon, the one who did all those smiling interviews? Yeah, him. Makes you wonder.

11:07 a.m. – Jay’s body was identified using a palm print. Cheryl McGowan, Lancashire Constabulary’s senior fingerprint expert, confirmed it was a positive match.

11:12 a.m. – Home Office pathologist Dr. Richard Shepherd said there were extensive decomposition changes, as expected after 29 days in a hot environment. His conclusion: Jay had been lying there the entire time — he wasn’t moved or hidden elsewhere.

11:14 a.m. – Cause of death: a heavy fall from a height. Jay suffered several injuries, but the head injury was by far the most important. Dr. Shepherd said the injury was consistent with falling into a ravine and was instantaneous or extremely quick — a small consolation that he likely didn’t suffer for long.

Drugs in Jay’s System
Jay had ecstasy in his system at the time of death. A cocaine metabolite was also found, which indicates cocaine use alongside alcohol. Dr. Stephanie Martin, a toxicologist, said the drugs were likely taken within a day of his death. The Spanish autopsy also found ketamine.

So: ecstasy, cocaine, ketamine, and alcohol — not a good mix.

Missing Witnesses & The Rolex Mystery
The Met Police were brought in to locate Aub Casim, who rented the Airbnb Jay visited, but he hasn’t been found either. Probably still in Tenerife.

Attempts were also made to serve witness summons to Lucy Law, who is also believed to still be in Tenerife. Brandon Hargreaves is currently on holiday (booked since October), and no arrangements were made for a video link. Seriously?

Witness Josh Forshaw met Jay at the airport and later at the festival. He testified that Jay was “off his head on drugs” and asked him to split an MDMA pill.

Jay also sent messages about stealing a Rolex watch worth £12,000 and trying to sell the strap for “10 quid”, which in local slang meant £10,000. The coroner actually asked Josh to provide evidence that “tenner” can mean 10k — and gave him an hour to prove it. Incredible.

Final Hours
Jay’s phone activity showed he was walking uphill until 8:49 a.m., then all data stopped — likely the time he fell or his battery died (it was at 1%).

He also sent Snapchat messages showing knives tucked in his trousers, with the caption: “In case it kicks off.” He was seen by local Spanish workers asking for bus times around 7:50 a.m. that day.

Coroner’s Summary
Jay’s mother, Debbie Duncan, broke down in tears, saying:

“We know he died and had an accident, but we want these people who last saw him to sit in front of us. Our son went on holiday and didn’t come back. We need answers.”

The inquest has been adjourned for now. The coroner stated they will make further attempts to locate the missing witnesses. He acknowledged it may not be successful but promised to try.