Imogen James
Live reporter

For more than a year, there has been speculation over the death of Lancashire teenager Jay Slater, who disappeared in Tenerife on 17 June 2024.

The case saw a four week search for the 19-year-old until his body was found in a remote part of the island's Teno national park weeks later.

Now, his family have a final conclusion - he died accidentally after a significant fall, which caused skull fractures and a traumatic brain injury which saw him die instantly.

After delivering his conclusion today, coroner Dr James Adeley said he hoped the exploration of facts rather than conjecture has provided some certainty to the family.

They, as well as witnesses, have been dealing with speculation over the death of their friend and son.

We're closing our live coverage here, but you can read more about the conclusion into Jay Slater’s death in our news story.

Imogen James
Live reporter

Dr James Adeley has ruled that 19-year-old Jay Slater died accidentally after a fall in Tenerife on 17 June 2024.

He went over his findings today, which were:

• Slater was partying with friends the night before he disappeared, taking ecstasy, cocaine, ketamine as well as drinking alcohol. One friend said Slater was struggling to stand, another said he was "dead happy"
• He refused to leave the club they were in - instead getting in a car to an Airbnb a 41-minute drive away with Ayub Qassim and Steven Roccas, who he met on holiday
• After they arrived, Qassim said he gave Slater a phone charger and blanket and went upstairs to sleep
• Slater sent various messages to friends, showing the view from the Airbnb. He didn't appear distressed or in fear at any point, the inquest heard
• Slater left the apartment and attempted to get a bus in the morning, despite advice that there was no service. He called his friends, saying his phone was dying, adding that he was scared and needed a drink
• His phone died shortly after 08:50 local time after a 22 second phone call with his friend, where he said all he could see was mountains
• Slater was walking from 08:00, his smart watch indicated. His body was found in a ravine 29 days later. It's estimated he fell 20-25m, causing fractures to his skull and pelvis

• Slater died accidentally and instantaneously after the fall and there were no characteristics of third-party involvement
• His body was identified via fingerprinting, as it was significantly decomposed

Slater's parents were in the room for the conclusion. Before it was delivered, his mother read a statement, describing Slater as "a joy to be around".

Their hearts are broken over his death, she added emotionally.

Fiona Trott
Reporting from the inquest

When the coroner delivered his findings, Jay Slater's mum Debbie nodded.

Warren Slater, Jay's father, looked straight ahead arms folded, showing no emotion.

In conclusion, Dr James Adeley says Jay Slater died on 17 June 2024 in a remote ravine in the Rural de Teno national park.

He fell in a "particularly dangerous area", resulting in skull fractures and brain trauma, dying instantly, the coroner says.

The conclusion is that "Jay Dean Slater died an accidental death" without third-party influence.

Bringing the inquest to a close, Adeley notes that Slater's death was difficult for his family who did not know what had happened for nearly a month.

He thanks all those who gave evidence to the inquest, before addressing the family, saying the he hopes that the exploration of facts throughout the inquest, rather than conjecture, has provided some certainty to them.

With that, he exits the court room.

The coroner concludes Jay Slater died an "accidental death" after falling from a height.

Investigators had told the inquest that there was no evidence on his phone of a threat towards Slater nor any indication he was in fear, the coroner continues.

Adeley then turns to the search for him, explaining that Slater was found 29 days after his disappearance in Teno national park.

He says that after 13 days, all accessible paths had been searched and efforts turned to the difficult, dangerous terrain made inaccessible by mountains and steep ravines.

On 15 July, Slater was found above a dry stream bed, and it was presumed he had fallen 20-25m after his bag was found with his passport some 15-20m above him.

The area is not frequented by people, Adeley says, and suggests Slater may have taken the path believing it would lead to the sea.

Slater’s friend Lucy Law was woken by Hodgson who told her the situation and called Slater at 08:32 local time, having a conversation lasting just over two minutes, the coroner says.

Slater said he needed a drink and he was frightened. Law told him he should go back, Slater said he couldn't, but there was no sense that anything bad had happened there, Law told the inquest.

After the call ended, she texted him to return to the Airbnb because it was "boiling", the inquest hears.

A subsequent phone call is recorded at 08:50 between the two that lasted 22 seconds. Slater said his phone was on 1% and all he could see was mountains, the coroner says.

In all the conversations, a police officer explained there is no sense of danger or distress from Slater, the coroner adds.

The coroner says there have been suggestions that Jay Slater was still under the influence of drugs on the morning of 17 June.

Slater's watch, which had an activity tracker, recorded that he was on the move and walking at around 08:00 local time, Dr James Adeley says.

He says the 19-year-old was spotted walking alongside the road, at a brisk pace.

Later, at 08:21 Slater is said to have called his friend, Brandon Hodgson, saying he was in the mountains.

Slater then called another friend, Bradley Geoghan, who said Slater had been walking outside and appeared to be better than the previous night but still under the influence of drugs, the coroner summarises to the inquest.

Later in the morning, Ramon Hernandez and a friend knocked on the door of the Airbnb asking the holiday guests to move their car, the inquest hears.

Adeley, the coroner, recounts testimony that Slater asked if a bus or taxi would take him to Los Cristianos where he had been staying, and he was told the next bus was due at 10:00 local time and the area did not have a taxi service.

Slater later asked Ofelia Hernandez about a bus, who gave him the same information.

Recalling Qassim's testimony, he says that he found Slater in the living room ready to depart.

Slater told him that he was returning to Los Cristianos and that he had been told the bus came every 10 minutes, the coroner says.

Qassim said he told Slater to stay where he was, Adeley adds.

The coroner moves onto the topic of knives.

Slater’s friend Josh Forshaw, who he met on the plane to Tenerife, received a Snapchat from him in the morning with two knives down his trousers with the caption "in case it all kicks off".

In subsequent messages, Slater makes no mention of any threat to him.

None of Slater's friends noted that he was fearful, distressed or upset, the coroner says. He says the image of the knives is likely to be social media boasting, and not a credible threat to be considered in relation to his death.

He goes onto a video sent by Slater outside showing the view of the mountains. The coroner says there is no indication this is anything other than a general holiday memory.

Slater called Geoghan around 07:21 that morning, who said Slater slurred and he advised him to get a taxi to his accommodation, the coroner adds.

Fiona Trott
Reporting from the inquest

There are 15 members of the public in court, including Jay Slater's family.

They have barely moved since the coroner started his conclusion. They are all looking directly at him.

Jay Slater didn't appear to show any signs of distress or fear following the messages he sent, Adeley continues.

He then recounts Qassim's testimony, that Roccas had fallen asleep when they arrived back at the Airbnb, and that he offered Slater a blanket, towel and clothes to sleep in.

Slater had asked for a charger, Adeley continues, and plugged in his phone. Qassim said he then went to bed, but did not fall asleep immediately, and that he could hear Slater moving about downstairs and at one point heard the door open.

Qassim said he fell asleep and was woken by the doorbell, which he presumed to be locals asking him to move his car, the coroner says.

He says he saw Slater when he went to meet them, and spotted the charger while he was downstairs, Adeley adds.

More now about the journey to the Airbnb.

On the way, Ayub Qassim stopped to get soft drinks. The drive to the property from the strip in Playa de las Americas was around 41 minutes, the coroner says, but it would have taken 11 hours by foot.

Dr James Adeley now moves onto the topic of the allegedly stolen luxury watch.

At 05:56 local time, Slater took a Snapchat video with a line of text that said he "just took a 12k rolly" off someone, and he was going to sell it.

Qassim said the driver in the video is him, but said he knew nothing about a watch.

There is no mention or images of a watch in any messages after this, the coroner says, adding that he concludes the watch is not relevant to the following events.

The court is now hearing more details of the night of Slater disappeared.

At 02:48 local time on 17 June, Slater's friend Lucy Law sent him a message telling him that she would take him home, to which he replied he was "on a mission".

Law had said Slater was drunk and had definitely taken drugs but was still in a state capable of standing up.

Hours later, Slater asked to stay with Qassim and Roccas, who offered him the sofa in their Airbnb to sleep on.

Their house was far away, but that they would bring him closer to his accommodation in the morning, the inquest was told.

The coroner continues to go through evidence and says that Slater was described as "dead happy" when seen at a party on 16 June by Josh Forshaw, who Slater had met on the plane.

A common theme throughout the inquest has been that "almost all of the witnesses are trying to recall events after attending parties with copious amounts of alcohol and other substances," the coroner says.

This might be affecting their memories, he adds.

Some of the data on Slater's mobile phone has been lost, but what was available has helped establish a timeline of the night of 16 June to the morning of 17 June.

Bradley Geoghan had described to the inquest that Slater had taken ecstasy making "him giddy" and he wouldn't have been able to drive a car.

There was evidence that Jay Slater had taken drugs the night before he disappeared, including MDMA and ketamine as well as evidence of longer-term ketamine use, the coroner says.

Continuing to set out the circumstances that led to his death, Dr Adeley says Slater came to be in Tenerife after flying there with his friends Lucy Law and Bradley Geoghan.

He then sums up the testimony we heard from Geoghan earlier in the inquest, recounting what they did upon arrival and how they met up with Ayub Qassim and Steven Roccas.

Fiona Trott
Reporting from the inquest

Jay Slater's mother and the family's lawyer look at each other and nod as the coroner says his death was probably instantaneous.

More on the cause of Jay Slater’s death now.

There was a fracture across the base of his skull, and another up the left side, the coroner reads.

There were also fractures on his pelvis in multiple places. The doctor concluded these injuries were consistent with a fall, with a single final impact.

The impact of the skull was enough to cause non-survivable brain injuries, even if he received immediate medical help, he says.

The death was likely instant, the coroner adds. The doctor's findings were consistent with a scan in the UK and the initial Spanish postmortem.

The coroner hopes it is of "some consolation to the family" that Slater wouldn't have been in pain.

Giving more details on how Jay was identified, the coroner says he is legally satisfied that the inquest has been dealing with Jay – that Slater has been correctly identified.

Turning to the cause of death, he says the autopsy was carried out after Jay was repatriated to the UK, and that there are no injuries characteristic of third-party involvement.

He adds that Jay had multiple abrasions that are consistent with the local terrain and his fall.

The coroner, Dr James Adeley, says the portrait concludes the evidence portion of the inquest, and begins to go over the next steps.

He will go on to answer questions about the disappearance, but says his purpose is not to answer every question about Slater's activities in the night before his death.

He then goes onto the identification of the body, which he says was difficult because of the length of time Slater had been deceased before the body was found.

He was identified by fingerprinting, and further analysis confirmed the body to be Slater's once he was returned to the UK.