Hours before he died in a ravine in Tenerife, Jay Slater texted his friend a worrying message – to which his concerned pal replied warning him he should “go home”
Hours before he died in a Spanish ravine, Jay Slater’s friend warned him to go home as he was “off his barnet”, an inquest into his death heard.
The apprentice bricklayer, 19, from Oswaldtwistle in Lancashire , was found dead in Tenerife last year following a massive month-long island manhunt launched after he mysteriously vanished one morning. The missing persons case sparked massive international interest, and, following a funeral in August 2024, an inquest into the teenager’s death began on Wednesday before later being adjourned.
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Preston Coroner’s Court heard a series of new details regarding the distressing incident, including the last text he ever sent. The court was told that, at 2.39am on the morning the teenager vanished, he sent a worrying message that persuaded a concerned friend to ask him to “come home”.
Jay wrote: “They’ve got a marker on me.” The friend replied: “You need to get home lad, you’re off your barnet.” Jay was found dead in the Juan Lopez ravine on July 15, more than a month after he was reported missing in mid-June, near the remote village of Masca in Teno.
He had stayed the night there at an Airbnb with two strangers after attending the NRG music festival in Playa de las Americas, and opted to start walking back to his accommodation on the opposite side of the island after missing a bus. His body was found in a steep and inaccessible area by a mountain rescue team from the Spanish Civil Guard.
The inquest was told that 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.
Toxicology expert Dr Stephanie Martin told the hearing that analysis of Jay’s body showed traces of MDMA and MDA, commonly known as ecstasy, along with cocaine and alcohol. Analysis of samples by Spanish authorities also showed the presence of ketamine which was not found in the UK samples.
Home Office pathologist Dr Richard Shepherd detailed Mr Slater’s injuries from his post-mortem examination. Dr Shepherd said: “The pattern of the injuries were entirely consistent with a heavy fall, a fall from a height, landing on his head.”
Dr James Adeley, senior coroner for Lancashire and Blackburn with Darwen, asked the witness if there was any suggestion of an assault or restraint of the teenager. Dr Shepherd said: “That’s something I considered very carefully, something I would always look to identify.
“The pattern of the injuries when someone is assaulted or restrained is very different from the type of injuries and pattern I found with Jay.” Dr Adeley continued: “Nothing to suggest that was the case?” Dr Shepherd said he concluded the cause of death as a head injury.
