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THE 19-YEAR-OLD WENT MISSING LAST SUMMER IN TENERIFE, SPARKING A HUGE MANHUNT 13:49, 21 May 2025 Pictures show Jay Slater's family arriving at a UK inquest into the teen's death in
Tenerife last summer. His parents Debbie Duncan and Warren Slater, together with his older brother Zak arrived at Preston Coroner's Court today (Wednesday May 21, 2025) where the court
heard he died from a head injury and there was no evidence he had been assaulted. Mr Slater, 19, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, was holidaying on the Spanish island and had been to the NRG
music festival with friends at the Papagayo nightclub in the resort of Playa de las Americas on June 16 last year. It is believed that in the early hours of the next day, a Monday, he went
to an apartment with other people he had met while on holiday, then subsequently vanished and was reported missing on June 18. His body was found in a steep and inaccessible area by a
mountain rescue team from the Spanish Civil Guard near the village of Masca on July 15, 2024. His mother Debbie Duncan, stepfather and other family members attended the inquest into Mr
Slater’s death at Preston Coroner’s Court on Wednesday. Home Office pathologist Dr Richard Shepherd detailed the injuries found on Mr Slater from his post-mortem examination findings. Mr
Shepherd said, apart from lacerations and cuts to the left side of his head, the major findings were associated with head injuries and his pelvis. He said: “There was extensive fractures of
the left side of his head. Several extensive fractures extending into the bottom of the skull. Also fractures to the left side of the pelvis and hip joints. “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, from the
injuries, 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 are 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: “Nothing to suggest an assault, gripping, holding, nothing of that sort.” The witness was then asked about what effect the skull injuries would have. Dr Shepherd
said: “It would have had an immediate and devastating effect on Jay’s consciousness. “The injuries were so severe I have not doubt he would have been instantly unconscious from the moment of
that blow to the head. “Death could well have been instant the injury was so severe. Jay would undoubtedly be unconscious and unaware. “It’s most likely death would have occurred instantly
or extremely soon afterwards.” Dr Shephard said he gave the official cause of death as a head injury. A preliminary Spanish post-mortem examination report recorded the death as “violent”,
with the immediate cause being “traumatic shock” and a severe traumatic brain injury. Dr Shepherd said the findings were consistent with his own findings. Toxicology expert Dr Stephanie
Martin told the hearing there were difficulties checking for the presence of drugs or alcohol in a body so severely decomposed. But she said analysis of Mr Slater’s body showed traces of the
presence of MDMA and MDA, commonly known as Ecstasy along with cocaine and alcohol. Dr Martin said because of the limitations of the analysis, she could not say exactly how much or how soon
before death the drugs had been taken. Article continues below Analysis of samples by the Spanish authorities also showed the presence of Ketamine which was not found in the UK samples. The
hearing continues.