Spanish court documents, including the toxicology report for Jay Slater, were fraudulently leaked and shared on social media – despite being highly confidential
Daniel Bird Assistant Celebrity and Entertainment Editor
12:05, 22 Sep 2025
Jay’s mother, Debbie, was told by a Preston coroner that the information had only been disclosed to her(Image: Facebook)
Just weeks before Jay’s death, the teen had been attending a festival with friends Lucy Law, Brad Hargreaves and Brandon Hodgson. Jay was found dead in a ravine in Tenerife’s Parque Rural de Teno on July 15, 2024, following a month-long search. After leaving the RG music festival in Playa de las Americas on June 17, he travelled with two men to an Airbnb in the national park area, 22 miles from where he had been staying with his friends.
But following his disappearance, social media was flooded with conspiracy theories relating to his vanishing, including people claiming Jay was actually alive and his disappearance was a “scam”. But a new Channel 4 documentary reveals that the toxicology report from the Spanish courts was also fraudulently leaked.
Jay’s toxicology reports were shared on YouTube(Image: Family Handout/LBT Global/PA)
It was revealed by Preston Coroner’s officer Alice Swarbrick that Jay’s body had traces of MDMA and cocaine in the hours prior to his death, but while there was evidence of the drugs in his system, this didn’t mean they formed part of the cause of his death. Jay’s mum explained that while it was a shock to her. “He’s a young adult and that’s what they do when they go to festivals, it’s not a shock, it’s just upsetting,” she said, adding that it was “upsetting the way he died.”
However, Jay’s heartbroken mum was informed that the toxicology report had only been disclosed to her and wouldn’t be shared anywhere else. But the documentary instantly cut to a string of YouTube videos, which shared screenshots of the toxicology report, stating Jay’s full name – Jay Dean Slater.
“25th March 2025. In Tenerife, Spanish court documents are fraudulently leaked and published on YouTube,” the caption says, adding: “Including Jay’s Spanish toxicology reports.”
Jay’s heartbroken mother, Debbie, said the family felt ‘powerless’ after the confidential documents were leaked(Image: Channel 4)
Speaking on the documentary, Jay’s mum, Debbie Duncan, said: “It’s just another kick in the teeth, but how is it even allowed? Official court documents, talking about our son, it’s lawless, ain’t it? There’s nothing we can do, we’re just powerless.”
Later on, pathologist, Dr Richard Shepherd, explained that ruling out injuries inflicted by a third party was “a very, very important part of this investigation, as Jay had “not been shot, he’s not been stabbed, he’s not been strangled.”
“A major head injury at the side, how do we explain that?” before going on to state that Jay’s injuries are consistent with severe trauma to the head, which could have been a result of falling down a slope. He also stated that he couldn’t rule out the possibility of Jay being pushed, as the push would leave no marks.
Dr James Adeley, Senior Coroner for Lancashire and Blackburn with Darwen explained that the case had become complicated due to social media coverage, as witnesses had expressed fear over giving evidence, due to the social media commentary from online slueths. “Social media has made obtaining answers more difficult,” he said.
Only three of five witnesses were able to be located: Ayub Qassim and Lucy Law both gave virtual evidence, while Bradley Geoghegan gave evidence in person. Jay was found dead in a ravine in Tenerife’s Parque Rural de Teno on July 15, 2024. After leaving a festival in Playa de las Americas on June 17, he travelled with two men to an Airbnb, 22 miles from where the friends were staying.
The Channel 4 film also reveals previously unheard audio, as well as unsent messages, as well as access to the Slater family as they continue to search for answers about what had happened to him.
The Disappearance of Jay Slater airs on Channel 4 on Sunday, September 28, at 9pm.
Debbie Slater, the mother of Jay Slater, who went missing in Tenerife in 2024, is heard speaking to UK police the day after her son went missing in a new Channel 4 documentary
Jay Slater’s mum says her “legs turned to jelly” and she called police to report him missing
In a new Channel 4 documentary, viewers will hear Debbie Duncan speak to the UK police the day after Jay went missing on holiday. “He has been located miles and miles away from where he is staying, up a bloody mountain,” she tells UK police after calling 999.
She then tells police how Jay spoke to his friend Lucy Law but only had 1% battery so the conversation was short-lived and speaks of her concern and not knowing the two lads he went off with.
Jay, 19, from Oswaldtwistle in Lancashire, went missing in Tenerife in June 2024 after attending a music festival.
Jay Slater’s mother speaks in the upcoming Channel 4 documentary (Image: Supplied)
The Disappearance of Jay Slater airs on Channel 4 next weekend (Image: Channel 4)
CCTV footage showed him in nightclubs but he then got into a car with two men he had met on the holiday and was driven to an Airbnb in the remote village of Masca, about 22 miles (36km) away from where he was staying.
It is thought he then tried to get back to where he was staying and got into difficulty.
On a separate second call to Spanish police, his friend Lucy tells them: “My friend he’s met some people, and they’ve drove him up into the mountains. I don’t know why and he’s left the house,
“And I don’t know if something happened, and I was telling him, you need to go back to your friends and tell them to drive you back down. And he said ‘No, I can’t. I can’t’. But I don’t know why that was.”
The Disappearance of Jay Slater airs on Channel 4 next Sunday night and has never-before-seen CCTV footage, previously unheard audio, the discovery of unsent messages, and access to the Slater family as they search for answers about what happened to Jay.
After the calls to police a huge search was launched before Jay’s body was found in a remote area near the village of Masca on 15 July.
Debbie paid tribute to her late son at an inquest into his death in July
Within hours of Jay ‘s disappearance in the summer of 2024, mass online interest set conspiracy theories flying, causing a social media storm led by true-crime keyboard detectives.
The case became the focus of global attention, with over 30 million videos online speculating about Jay’s whereabouts.
At an inquest into Jay’s death in July, the late teenager’s mother told how her son’s death had “touched the hearts of the nation”. Debbie gave a tribute to the 19-year-old, whose death from head injuries was ruled an accident, following a two-day hearing at Preston Coroner’s Court.
Coroner Dr James Adeley ruled Jay, who had taken a number of drugs, had fallen in a dangerous ravine, suffering un-survivable head injuries while try to walk back to his holiday let across mountainous terrain in Tenerife, in July last year.
Debbie, accompanied by the teenager’s father, Warren Slater, wept as she told the court her son was “full of fun and was always a joy to be around” with many friends.
He was close to completing his apprenticeship as a bricklayer, was learning to drive and had been “counting down the days” to his first holiday with friends abroad.
“Not in a million years did we predict what was to unfold,” she said. “He had a large circle of good friends who have been left devastated at his tragic death. Our lives will never be the same without Jay in it.”
Her son’s disappearance prompted huge media coverage and sparked a multitude of conspiracy theories on social media.
Debbie added: “He may of just been a story for the past 13 months, a story full of untruths. He did touch the hearts of the nation and that overwhelms us. We ask you to please now let Jay rest in eternal peace.”
*The Disappearance of Jay Slater airs on Channel 4 on Sunday September 28 at 9pm.
Jay Slater’s disappearance sparked a social media storm as the 19-year-old tragically died while on holiday in Tenerife after sending a haunting message to his friend
A vast search was carried out in an effort to find Jay after he was reported missing on June 17, 2024. Sadly, Jay’s body was found in a remote area near the village of Masca on 15 July.
The search for Jay revealed he had vanished after being driven about 22 miles into the mountains to an Airbnb with two men he had met on the holiday. He fell around 80ft to his death in a treacherous ravine while trying to walk back to his accommodation in Los Cristianos.
Jay’s mum revealed she saw his final text message that was never sent(Image: Channel 4)
Debbie logged into Jay’s phone following his death(Image: Supplied)
Within hours of Jay’s disappearance, mass online interest set conspiracy theories flying, causing a social media storm led by true-crime keyboard detectives. The case became the focus of global attention, with over 30 million videos online speculating about Jay’s whereabouts.
Now, a new documentary is set to detail his family’s hunt for answers and is the first time they have spoken publicly about the tragic case. During one moment, Jay’s mum Debbie Duncan recalled finding an unsent message when she logged onto her son’s Snapchat account.
After finally receiving Jay’s phone, Debbie found a devastating unsent message to his friend. She said: “When we signed into Jay’s Snapchat there was an unsent message from Jay to Brad [Geohegan].
“So the message was obviously just flying around and then the message sent to Brad, which obviously gave Brad a fright. He messaged me straight away ‘are you on Jay’s phone?’. I said yeah we’ve just signed into his Snapchat.
“He said ‘I’ve just got a message that’s just come through from Jay’. The last message he sent. He said ‘listen, I’m not going to make it’. It’s kind of like he knew he just wasn’t going to make it.”
He sent a message to his friend Brad, but it never went through(Image: C4)
Jay’s phone is believed to have ran out of charge when his call to friend Lucy Law ended at 8:50am. The documentary plays the desperate ‘999 call’ she made to Spanish police where she tells them: “Jay said he is going to die up there”.
Lucy had known Jay for about six years and was the last person to speak to him on the phone. On the call to Spanish police, Lucy tells them: “My friend he’s met some people, and they’ve drove him up into the mountains. I don’t know why and he’s left the house,
“And I don’t know if something happened, and I was telling him, you need to go back to your friends and tell them to drive you back down.
“And he said ‘No, I can’t. I can’t’. But I don’t know why that was.” The police then asked for the friend’s name and Lucy tells them it is Jay Slater.
The police ask if her friend has asked to be rescued and she added: “Yes, said he feels like he’s going to die up there. And then the phone cut off.” The audio from the call with the police has never been heard before and sheds new light on the events of June 17.
Channel 4 ’s new film The Disappearance of Jay Slater will air next weekend. The Disappearance of Jay Slater also has never-before-seen CCTV footage, previously unheard audio, the discovery of unsent messages, and access to the Slater family as they search for answers about what happened to Jay.
* The Disappearance of Jay Slater airs on Channel 4 on Sunday September 28 at 9pm.
A FORMER Met detective who investigated Jay Slater’s disappearance has said his drug dealer “pal” has to come forward and answer key questions from the inquest.
Detective turned TV-sleuth Mr Williams-Thomas said he had been in close contact during the investigation with a number of witnesses – including Jay’s family and friends.
Now he has urged Qassim to come forward and answer questions from the “disappointing” inquest.
Qassim took the19-year-old Britback to anAirbnbin Masca the night before he went missing on June 17.
Mr Williams-Thomas called Qassim “the most important witness” who he says gave him “crucial evidence” that “hasn’t been made public” yet.
The ex-detective added that the evidence he received from Qassim in his own investigation provides “greater context” as to why Jay left the villa.
Qassim was previously jailed for nine years in 2015 as the ringleader of a London-based gang dealing heroin and crack cocaine in Cardiff.
He and another Brit previously known only as “Rocky” had rented the Airbnb in the remote Tenerife mountains that they took Jay back to after the festival.
Jay posted a final Snapchat picture of himself smoking on the doorstep of the apartment at 7.30am on June 17 before leaving shortly after.
Qassim has always denied any involvement in Jay’s death.
Jay Slater inquest drama as mum makes shock demand…meaning MORE bombshells to come after drugs & ‘missing’ pals revealed
One of those theories claimed Jay had stolen a £12,000 watch – which his mum Debbie dismissed as vile rumours.
Josh Forshaw, who met Jay as they boarded a plane from Manchester to Tenerife, said he received a message from the teen before he disappeared.
It read: “Ended up getting thrown out with two Mali kids, just took an AP [luxury watch strap] off somebody and was on the way to sell it.”
Josh told the hearing via video link that Jay said he was planning to sell the strap for “10 quid”, slang for £10,000.
Josh told the hearing he received a Snapchat from Jay later in the night that claimed he “ended up getting thrown out” of the venue with two other people.
He also claimed Jay sent him a photo showing “knives down his trousers” that was captioned “in case it kicks off”.
Josh said he didn’t mention the image to Spanish police before leaving Tenerife, but did inform cops in Lancashire on his return.
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The Airbnb Jay went to before he vanishedCredit: Steve Reigate
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Jay’s mum Debbie Duncan pictured outside Preston Coroner’s CourtCredit: STEVE ALLEN
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Dad Warren Slater and brother outside the hearingCredit: STEVE ALLEN
Speaking of Josh’s claim of receiving the knives image, Mr Williams-Thomas says he was told that they weren’t found with him and were left in the apartment.
Apprentice bricklayer Jay travelled to the Spanish island in June to attend the NRG music festival in Playa de las Americas with two friends, Lucy Law and Brad Hargreaves.
The teen travelled to an Airbnb apartment in Masca with two men including Qassim in the early hours of June 17, before leaving at around 8am.
Jay, of Oswaldtwistle, Lancs, made a heartbreaking final call to his friend Law saying he had cut his leg, was lost, dehydrated and had just one per cent battery on his phone after he left the Airbnb.
They claimed she was also unaware that she had been called to give evidence at the inquest.
Speaking at the family home in Burnley, Lucy’s stepfather Andy Davis said: “We had no idea Jay’s inquest was even being held today.
“The police have only just been round today to say that she was due to give evidence. But it’s the first time we knew of it.”
He added: “They asked if Lucy was home and I said she was abroad and they asked me if I was aware that she should have been in court, and I said I wasn’t.”
“The police said they had sent Lucy paperwork with the dates on it, but the first I knew about it was when the police turned up earlier today.”
Sources in the Slater family later said they were aware where the other missing witnesses were, and had also been able to find them easily, according to the MailOnline.
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Jay with friend Lucy Law, who he was on holiday withCredit: Instagram
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A post-mortem examination concluded he died of traumatic head injuriesCredit: Ian Whittaker
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Jay’s devastated mum Debbie beside his graveCredit: Louis Wood
The family source said: “Lucy is in Tenerife. Another supposedly untraceable witness is on holiday in Greece.
“If we can find this out so quickly why can’t the police?”
The court also heard a suggestion that witnesses may be reluctant to appear because drugs may have been involved.
After Jay’s body was found, officials said there were traces of cocaine, ecstasy and ketamine in his body.
Dr Adeley said: “When drugs are involved in a death, the witnesses are less than forthcoming and do not wish to speak to the authorities.”
Jay‘s disappearance and death remain largely cloaked in mystery and it is hoped that glaring gaps in his final movements will be filled after the inquest.
The inquest heard from three construction workers who said, via video link, they saw Jay on the main road through the remote village of Masca and he asked them about bus times.
He was attempting the treacherous 10-hour walk back to his apartment in Los Cristianos when he called Lucy to say he was lost.
DCI Rachel Higson, head of digital media investigations at Lancashire Police, told the hearing today that Jay’s phone recorded “a lot of steps and inclines” between 7.59am and 8.49am.
His mobile last pinged in the mountainous Rural de Teno Park after Jay walked the wrong way from the Airbnb, and DCI Higson said there was “no data recorded” after 8.49:51am.
After a month-long search, Jay’s body was found in a ravine on July 15 last year – near to where his phone last pinged.
A post-mortem examination concluded he died of traumatic head injuries, consistent with a fall from height.
Home Office pathologist Dr Richard Shepherd today told the inquest Jay suffered a “heavy fall from height” and the “devastating” effects would have been “immediate”.
Why the inquest farce is more pain for Jay’s family
AS I stood in the sweltering, remote mountains of Masca I was told the news Jay Slater’s loved ones dreaded – his body had been found.
But for his devastated family, it didn’t bring the closure they so desperately needed.
Now almost a year on, his grief-stricken mum, dad and brother have been subjected to yet more torment as an inquest into his death dredged up painful details of his disappearance – while lacking any actual answers.
Jay’s courageous mum Debbie Duncan opened up to me just weeks after his body was found about how she was tortured by not knowing what happened to her beloved son before he fell to his death.
I was humbled by the bravery she showed in the face of living every parent’s worst nightmare on the world stage – relentlessly hounded by mindless trolls.
Spineless witnesses failing to turn up to the hearing to provide crucial information is a kick in the teeth for Debbie and his already suffering family.
The 19-year-old went missing 11 months ago, and his body tragically discovered 29 days later.
So why after all these months has the court failed to bring together vital witnesses – including the two friends he was on holiday with?
After months and months of battling through their grief, the last thing Jay’s family needed was to face a farce of a hearing without the necessary witnesses.
