Lucy Law, who was on holiday with Jay Slater in Tenerife when he died last year, had no idea that an inquest into his death was even taking place, says her stepdad
A friend of Jay Slater who was on holiday with him when he died had no idea his inquest was taking place nor that police were trying to track her down as a witness.
An inquest into his death last summer has been adjourned after a plea from his tearful mother. Debbie Duncan said the 19-year-old had gone on holiday and never come home, and told the hearing she still had questions that needed answers. A number of witnesses were asked to give evidence at the hearing at Preston Coroner’s Court but have either not been traced or were unable to attend despite extensive efforts, the court was told.
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The group included Lucy Law, who was travelling with Jay on the fateful trip to Tenerife, but her stepfather Andy Davis said she had no idea that the inquest was taking place. She is understood to currently be on holiday in Tenerife once again.
Speaking from the family home in Burnley, Lancashire, Mr Davis said: “The police have only just been round today to say that she was due to give evidence. But it’s the first time we knew of it… We had no idea Jay’s inquest was even being held today.”
A Slater family source also told Mail Online : “Lucy is in Tenerife. Another supposedly untraceable witness is on holiday in Greece. If we can find this out so quickly why can’t the police?”
The witnesses, the court was told, who were attempted to be traced included Bradley Geoghegan, understood to be on holiday, and Brandon Hodgson as well as Ms Law. The two men who were staying at the Airbnb property – Ayub Qassim and Steven Roccas – have also not been traced, despite summonses being issued.
After all the evidence had been heard on Wednesday, Ms Duncan addressed Dr James Adeley, senior coroner for Lancashire and Blackburn with Darwen. She said: “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.”
Ms Law received a call last June from the 19-year-old British tourist saying he was lost, had one per cent charge on his phone and needed water. Mr Slater, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, had attended the NRG Festival at Papagayo, in Playa de las Americas, Tenerife on June 16 last year but became separated from his friends, including Ms Law, following the all-night rave.
The inquest, now adjourned with no new date set, heard traces of drugs, including cocaine, ketamine and ecstasy, were found in Mr Slater’s body and pathologists concluded his death from head injuries was consistent with a fall.
But Dr Adeley said: “When drugs are involved in a death, the witnesses are less than forthcoming and do not wish to speak to the authorities.” He later added: “We can’t find them (the witnesses), they have stopped responding to phone calls.”
Following a search lasting 29 days, Mr Slater’s body was found in a ravine on July 15. The terrain in this area was described as “really steep, really dangerous” during the inquest, which will resume at a later – as yet unfixed – date.