The identity of a mystery man known as ‘Jonny Vegas’ in the case of missing teenager Jay Slater has finally been revealed – three weeks after the 19-year-old vanished
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Reporter Mark Williams-Thomas gives detailed update on Jay Slater search
The identity of a key witness known previously as ‘Jonny Vegas’ in the case of missing teen Jay Slater has finally been revealed.
The news was delivered by TV detective Mark Williams-Thomas, who flew to Tenerife to help find Jay, and said further digging into the investigation has opened up an established criminal network with links to drugs, violent crime and theft.
Jay, an apprentice bricklayer from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, left a rave in Tenerife by car with two British men and stayed the night at an Airbnb in the middle of a rural village before vanishing. The trip was Jay’s first ever time travelling abroad.
He was last heard from on the morning of Monday, June 17 as he attempted to make his way back to the touristy town of Los Christianos, where he had been staying with friends Lucy Law and Brad Hargreaves. But despite a huge two-week-long search operation, Jay has not been seen since.
Earlier this week, the case took a dark turn with the revelation that one of the last individuals to see Jay was found to be a convicted drug dealer.
It can now be revealed that Ayub Qassim, 31, who was imprisoned nine years ago for orchestrating a scheme to inundate Wales with Class A drugs, is the mystery ‘Jonny Vegas’ who drove the missing teen to the deserted holiday rental.
Former Met Police officer Mr Williams-Thomas, shared an update on social media, revealing he had spoken with Qassim. In a video shared on X, he said: “In the last 24 hours I have spoken in detail with Ayub Qassim, who is also known as Jonny Vegas.
“He said he was on the strip, Jay wanted to carry on partying and he said he had nowhere to stay, so he said he could come back to his. In the car, they played music and chatted before stopping to get a drink at a cafe just prior to entering the mountains. [Qassim] was driving, his friend was in the passenger seat, and Jay was in the back.
“On arrival at the rental, his friend opened the door, went to the left and went straight to sleep. Jay walked in behind, followed by [Qassim]. They went upstairs” and Qassim told Jay “the sofa’s for you there” handed him a towel, a blanket and told him to have a shower whenever he wanted.
The TV detective added: “Jay also asked for a cigarette and Qassim gave him a Camel cigarette and left it on the side. Jay then asked for a charger and then went into Qassim’s friend room, while he was sleeping and got the charger.”
Qassim then reportedly went to sleep and was awoken by the sound of the door buzzing. He added: “Qassim opened the door and spoke to a woman and man and they told him to move his car, which he did and he said he could see Jay chatting to a woman.
“He said that after moving the car, he came back and saw Jay had his trainers on and he told Qassim that the woman had said he could get a bus ‘every ten minutes’. Qassim said to him “Chill, mate, I’ll drop you off later, when I wake up’ but he said Jay said ‘nah, I need some scran, I’m hungry”
“Jay said he had been told by the woman the bus to Los Cristianos was every ten minutes and Qassim said there was no bus and added “Do what you like’ before going to sleep.”
Mr Williams-Thomas continued: “Qassim says the next thing he remembers is getting a call from one of Jay’s friends to say he is lying in a ditch somewhere and that he’s been ‘bitten by a cactus’.”
Qassim had rented the Airbnb, Casa Abuela Tina, situated near the secluded village of Masca for a modest £40 per night, using the name Ayub Abdul. On June 17, Jay stayed at the cottage, but after 5am he vanished without a trace.
Qassim, alongside an unnamed companion, had been in contact with Spanish authorities and even prolonged his stay by a day to aid in the investigation into Jay’s disappearance.
He previously spoke to MailOnline, confirming that Jay had “left the house alive.” Qassim said: “The only comment I have to make is that Jay came to the house alive, and he left the house alive.” He also said he gave Jay a “blanket to sleep in” and insisted there was no altercation between them.
A Snapchat photo sent by Jay to his friends at 7.30 am on the morning he disappeared shows him with a cigarette, draped in a red blanket. Qassim added: “I let the geezer stay at mine because he had nowhere else to go, his friends had all left him. I know Jay, through friends, I’m not going to bring someone back to mine if I don’t know them.”
Mr Williams-Thomas, who has continued to investigate leads into the 19-year-old’s disappearance, says he uncovered a criminal network linked to drugs, violent crime and theft as he questioned “as many people” who came into contact with Jay in Tenerife.
He said: “The evidence still strongly supports that Jay left the Airbnb suddenly, walked for thirty minutes before wandering off road on the Monday where he dropped a location ping. However, as part of this investigation, we sought to identify and speak with as many people Jay had contact with whilst in Tenerife.
“The result of this digging has opened up an established criminal network with links to drugs, violent crime and theft. You will appreciate that at this stage I cannot expand any further on what we now know. However, at this stage I’m unable to say if this network has anything to do with Jay’s disappearance.”
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