JAY Slater’s heartbroken mum today broke down in tears as she paid tribute to her son at the conclusion of his inquest.
Debbie Duncan urged for her beloved son, 19, to be left in “eternal peace” as she described Jay as “the life and soul anywhere we went”.
The inquest into the death of Jay Slater concluded todayPixel8000
CHRIS NEILLJay Slater’s mum Debbie Duncan arriving at court today[/caption]
InstagramJay’s pal Lucy Law spoke to him on the phone before he fell to his death[/caption]
Wearing a blue pin badge with the letter Jay on, grieving Debbie added: “Our lives will never be the same without Jay in it.
“As a family, we would like those in attendance today to remember that Jay was a real person.
“He did touch the hearts of the nation and that overwhelmed us.
“We ask now that you let Jay rest in eternal peace.”
Concluding Jay’s inquest today, Dr James Adeley determined the teenager’s death was accidental after a fall from height.
The coroner said: “Whilst attempting to descend the ravine Jay fell in a difficult area.
“Jay Slater fell approximately 20 to 25 metres resulting in skull fracture and brain trauma from which he would have died instantly.
“There was no third party involved. Jay Dean Slater died an accidental death.”
Dr Adeley said Jay’s body was identified by his right thumb print and that a pathologist had ruled his body did not have any injuries likely to have been inflicted by “third parties”.
The post-mortem noted that Jay’s body had undergone “extensive mummification” due to the “hot conditions” his body would have been in before he was found on July 15.
Dr Adeley said Jay’s death would likely have been instantaneous.
He added: “I hope it is of some consolation to the family that Jay would have been unaware of the situation after his fall and would not have been in any pain.”
Liver samples analysed in the UK showed Jay had taken ecstasy and cocaine and drunk alcohol in the day or so before his death.
Jay’s body was found in a ravine in the remote mountains of northern Tenerife last July – 29 days after he disappeared on June 17 while on holiday.
He was attempting the treacherous 14-hour walk back to his own apartment after leaving an Airbnb he went to with two men when he fell.
Jay made a final heart-wrenching call to his friend Lucy Law, telling her he was dehydrated and didn’t know where he was.
Preston coroner’s court heard yesterday how Lucy told Jay to return to the Airbnb, but he replied: “I can’t go back there.”
But the coroner ruled that speculation about a stolen watch was not relevant to Jay’s death.
He noted how witnesses had recalled that Jay did not appear to be in any distress in the hours before his death.
Dr Adeley also deemed claims that Jay had two knives in his shorts to not be “reliable evidence”.
He added: “It is more likely to be social media boosting.”
Ian WhittakerJay with mum Debbie in happier times[/caption]
Ayub Qassim, who Jay went back to the Airbnb with, gave evidence via videolink yesterday
The spot where the teenager tragically fell to his death
Ian WhittakerSearch crews scoured for Jay for days before he was found[/caption]
It comes after the court yesterday heard evidence from Jay’s friend Lucy Law and Bradley Geoghegan, as well as convicted drug dealer Ayub Qassim, who took Jay to his Airbnb.
Jay, best friend Lucy and other mates had gone to the NRG rave music festival in June last year.
Giving evidence for the first time, Lucy said she and Jay, of Oswaldtwistle, Lancs, had partied at various night spots in Playa de
las Americas.
At one point he disappeared before she caught up with him in another bar.
She said: “He just found the situation funny.”
Asked about his state Lucy, giving evidence on an audiolink, said: “He was definitely on a buzz — I’d say he’d have definitely taken something.”
An earlier hearing at Preston coroner’s court had heard he had used drugs including cocaine, ecstasy and ketamine.
Lucy and friend Brandon Hodgson called it a night.
Unknown to them, Jay then decided to leave with two men in a car at 5am or 6am.
She was woken at 8.30am by a phone call from another friend,
Bradley, saying Jay had told him in a video call he
was “in the middle of nowhere” and had started what he feared would be a 14-hour walk back.
Records showed Lucy rang Jay at 8.52am. She said he told her
he was in the mountains and needed a drink.
He asked whether cacti were poisonous.
She told him to go back to where he had come from, but he said: “I can’t go back there.”
Bradley said Jay had seemed still “under the influence”.
Coroner Dr Adeley asked: “Did you get the impression he was in any way threatened or fearful, or under duress
in a difficult situation?”
Bradley replied: “No. I think he probably got there and thought, ‘Why am I here?’, sobered up and decided to come back.”
Convicted drug dealer Ayub Qassim, speaking via videolink, said Jay asked to come with him and a third man called Steven Roccas, also known to police.
The coroner asked Qassim about Snapchat messages Jay
sent to friends about a Rolex being stolen.
Qassim said he saw a Romanian take a watch he thought was fake from an unwitting bystander and tried to sell it to them.
He added: “Jay didn’t steal no watch. I can say 100 per cent.”
Steve ReigateThe remote Airbnb that Jay went to after partying[/caption]
CHRIS NEILLJay’s mum Debbie Duncan arriving at Preston Coroner’s Court on Thursday[/caption]