Jay Slater's erratic behaviour in final hours - 'poison' fear to confused phone call

The mysterious disappearance of apprentice bricklayer Jay Slater in Tenerife last year sparked a nationwide search and made headlines across the country.

The 19-year-old's death is set to be explored in Channel 4's The Disappearance of Jay Slater, which features interviews with Jay's friends, family andthose he saw shortly before his death in Tenerife.

Jay, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, had jetted off to the Spanish island for the NRG music festival but vanished after splitting from his mates and heading to a flat with two men they'd met on holiday.

A month later, his body was tragically discovered near the secluded village of Masca and an inquest in July ruled that he died accidentally after tumbling into a rocky ravine and suffering a brain injury and skull fracture.

The inquest, which kicked off in May but was put on hold to track down crucial witnesses, also shed light on his actions in the final hours of his life, including the erratic phone calls he made to pals and his wild social media posts.

Here we delve into Jay's last movements and messages, as revealed at the inquest.

'Fuming' friend

Jay's friend Lucy Law, who had known the teenager for roughly six or seven years, jetted to the island alongside him, plus two more of their pals - Brandon Hodgson and Bradley Hargreaves.

READ MORE: Jaw-dropping Jay Slater bombshells from new documentary - CCTV footage to chilling 999 call

On the opening day of the second hearing at Preston Coroner's Court she provided testimony via video link "because of the condition that she is in".

She disclosed what unfolded on Sunday, June 16 - their final evening out together before he vanished the next morning.

She explained she and Brandon watched the England football match at a bar called Veronica's and were joined by Jay and Bradley for only around 20 minutes before they then left.

The group reunited at around midnight when they headed back out to the festival.

When questioned about how intoxicated Jay was, Lucy told the court: "He was visibly intoxicated but I wouldn't say he was in a state or anything. He wasn't mangled."

Jay wandered off to the toilet but didn't return, she said, so they all separated to try and locate him but their phones were running low on battery and he wasn't picking up his.

"We left to see if we could find him outside. We had a look on The Strip. At this point I thought he's probably made mates with someone or has found a girl and ventured off," she told the inquest.

She also said it wasn't out of character for him to do this as he was a "social butterfly". Jay then sent a message saying he was at a club called Oasis, but they couldn't locate him there.

He messaged again claiming he was at another venue called Sugar Reef, but once more they were unable to find him.

Lucy left Jay a voicemail which said: "Where are you and what are you doing? I am coming down to get you. If you're not there this time I will be f****** fuming."

When she eventually tracked him down, he reportedly said he didn't want to go home.

"I said we'd all been worried about him but he just found the situation funny. Me and Brandon want you to go home and he said 'there's no way I'm going home'.

"I asked him to wait there and went back up to get Brandon and Brad. Me and Brandon got in a taxi, Brad walked down to meet Jay. I went home from there so I don't know what happened after that.

'On a mission'

Lucy also revealed to the inquest that in one text she received from Jay that evening, he said that he was "on a mission".

Following his introduction to convicted drug dealer Ayub Qassim and Steven 'Rocky' Roccas by Brandon several days earlier, Jay reportedly enquired if he could stay at their rented Airbnb, which was roughly 40 minutes from the festival, as everyone else had left.

At the initial hearing in May, neither man could be located but in July, Ayub testified at the inquest from abroad.

He described Jay as: "On a buzz. Chilled, happy. Mingling innit."

After Jay requested to return to their flat, he told the inquest: "I did say, 'Bro, oh mate, it's so far away from the strip. There's nothing happening there other than scenery'. I said I would drop him off in the morning. He rolled with us."

Ayub alleges that back at the holiday let, Jay asked for a phone charger so he directed him to get Rocky's from his room. He then began charging his phone in the kitchen and Ayub said he provided him with a blanket and a towel for the morning.

Regarding their last conversation, he stated: "He asked for a fag and I left my deck downstairs. I said goodnight and went upstairs."

Brad also attended the inquest and informed the court that Jay had video called him while he was inside the Airbnb. "He showed me the bed they had made for him," he said.

'Stolen Rolex' mystery

While en route to the Airbnb, Jay sent a message to friends, including Brad, on social media, stating: "Just took a 12k Rolly (Rolex) off some c*** with this Maili (Somalian) kid. Off to get 10 quid (thousand) for it. Off my undies ha, ha, ha."

Brad revealed that Jay had informed him via a Snapchat message that he was heading to Ayub and Rocky's house "to sell a watch". When questioned about the watch and why he didn't probe Jay further, Brad admitted: "Because I was under the influence of drugs."

He added: "I didn't think anything of it because there are a lot of people selling fake stuff on the strip. Loads of watches."

Brandon was nowhere to be found to provide evidence at the inquest, and Brad suggested that he knew more about the situation "than just the Snapchat".

Coroner Dr Adeley asked Ayub was he involved in the watch incident. Ayub responded: "No. And neither was he [Jay}".

The coroner then asked about messages Jay had sent regarding a potential watch theft. Ayub recounted seeing what he described as a Romanian "lucky-lucky" man snatch a watch from someone else before attempting to sell it to him and Jay while still on the strip before they left for their flat.

He insisted: "Jay did not steal no watch. I can say one hundred per cent."

When asked to clarify Jay's social media post, the witness suggested: "He could be boasting to his friends. He's on a buzz, so maybe it could be that. Sometimes people do exaggerate."

The coroner pressed: "But so far as you are concerned, none of that is true?" To which Ayub confirmed: "No. One hundred per cent. I didn't see a watch. At this point he's just firing off messages."

Today the coroner referenced the numerous Snapchat messages where Jay boasted about pinching a watch.

He highlighted that the timepiece brand differed in each message and noted Ayub's testimony that "people often 'boosted' themselves up in messages"

"I consider that the watch is irrelevant to subsequent events," he declared.

Was Jay carrying knives?

During the inquest in May, one of Jay's mates revealed the teenager had forwarded him a photograph of himself with "knives down his trousers" moments before his death.

Witness Josh Forshaw encountered Jay and his group whilst they waited to catch the flight from Manchester to Tenerife.

Josh subsequently exchanged contact details with Jay and linked up with the group at the music festival.

Josh stated that Jay "seemed dead happy" and that he was "off his head on drugs".

Josh informed proceedings Jay had transmitted him a snap of himself with "knives down his trousers".

He explained the image bore the caption: "In case it kicks off".

The witness confirmed he hadn't alerted Spanish police about the photograph but upon returning home to the UK, he briefed Lancashire Police about it.

On Thursday Brad faced questions about rumours that Jay had concealed two knives down his shorts.

He insisted he knew nothing about it.

The coroner enquired: "You have known Jay a long time, would him arming himself with two kitchen knives down his trousers be unusual?"

Brad responded "yes" - it would be unusual.

Brad also maintained that nothing suggested Jay was distressed, feeling scared, worried or frightened.

Final calls and concerns over 'poisoning'

Earlier, Detective Williams-Thomas revealed in a podcast: "Jay was still buzzing at 6am from the alcohol and drugs but his mates wanted to go home, so when Qassim told Jay that he could go back to theirs and continue partying he jumped at the chance."

He added that at 2.35am, Jay sent a mysterious text to a mate, saying: "They've got a marker on me."

His mate responded to the message at 3am, saying: "You need to go home lad you're off your barnet."

Jay then replied by writing: "You think I'm going home you must be disabled."

At this point, the investigator said, Jay "was very heavily under the influence of drink and drugs."

According to Mr Williams-Thomas, it is possible that "some paranoia" was present "because his mates were saying he was not making much sense and being argumentative which was very unlike Jay."

Phone location data suggested Jay left Ayub and Rocky's flat at around 7.45am on June 17.

Statements from local Spanish witnesses said they were approached and asked by him about buses or taxis to take him home.

Jay rang Brad on Snapchat as he was "walking down a road" and told his mate: "I'm gonna come back."

Brad told the inquest: "At that point I might have been feeling a bit worried. He said 'I'm gonna come back down' and he was asking if we had any drinks left at the apartment."

Brad told Jay to "put maps on" while on the Snapchat call to see how far away from the Paloma Beach flat he was. He told the court: "He said '14 hours walk or an hour's drive'. I said 'wow, why are you so far away, get a taxi back'. He then said 'I'll ring you back' and that was the last time I spoke to Jay."

The inquest also heard a statement Brandon gave to Spanish police via a video call following Jay's disappearance.

Brandon told police that Jay called him when he was trying to walk home after leaving the Airbnb.

The call was made at around 8.30am and it was a video call.

Jay told Brandon he was in the middle of nowhere and showed him where he was.

He said he wasn't on a road and couldn't see anywhere nearby.

However he said Jay "didn't seem frightened" despite being on his own and was "laughing and joking".

Brandon added that he thought Jay was "out of his mind".

Lucy was the last person to speak to Jay.

Brandon had called Lucy that morning and told her that Jay was up in the mountains, which she thought was a joke at first.

She realised it was serious and called Jay several times at around 8.50am in which she asked him if he knew where he was.

Jay said that his mouth was dry and he needed a drink and was frightened.

His phone was on 2% at this point. In a desperate call to Lucy, he said: "I'm in the middle of nowhere... there is literally nothing but mountains."

Lucy revealed at the hearing that she "started panicking" after receiving the call.

She recalled Jay asking her if cactuses were poisonous, to which she responded: "A cactus is the least of your problems, go back to where you have just come from."

During the conversation, Jay told her: "I can't go back there", but she didn't sense anything was amiss, stating: "I also feel like, if something had gone on in terms of conflict, I feel like he probably would have said."

The May hearing heard evidence from witnesses including toxicology expert Dr Stephanie Martin. The court learned that analysis showed traces of drugs - including cocaine, ketamine and ecstasy - and alcohol in Jay's body.

Home Office pathologist Dr Richard Shepherd stated that his post-mortem examination revealed the cause of death as head injuries and Mr Slater's body showed no signs of restraint or assault, with the pattern of injuries consistent with a fall from height.

Detective Chief Inspector Rachel Higson, from Lancashire Constabulary, informed that police had analysed Mr Slater's phone data. On the night out, he had received messages from friends advising him to go home as he was "off his head".

Further messages from friends warned him about the "boiling" heat of the day but activity data on his phone ceased at 8.51am, suggesting the battery had run out.