As the inquest into Jay Slater's death takes place today (21 May), a friend of his has said the teen sent him a photo ‘armed with knives’ just before his death.
The 19-year-old from Lancashire was holidaying in Tenerife last summer when his disappearance led to a major manhunt and sparked a whole host of conspiracy theories on social media.
Slater was reported missing on 18 June 2024 before his body was found in a steep and inaccessible area by a mountain team on 15 July.
As some of his friends 'can't be found', Preston Coroner’s Court has heard that he died from a head injury, and more details about the events leading up to his death have been revealed in an inquest.
Josh Forshaw appeared as a witness. He said he met Slater at Manchester Airport while travelling to the island.
The pair then saw each other at the NRG music festival the night before he disappeared.
Forshaw told the inquest that the teen was ‘dead happy’ and ‘off his head on drugs’ on 17 June.
Slater then sent him a message which said: “Ended up getting thrown out with two Mali kids, just took an AP [Audemars Piguet, a luxury watch brand] off somebody and was on the way to sell it.”
Forshaw claims the watch strap was going to be sold for £10,000.
He also told the coroner that he received a picture of Slater showing ‘knives down his trousers’ and added that it had been captioned: “In case it kicks off.”
The witness admitted he didn’t inform the Spanish police about this photo, but atter returning home to the UK, he told Lancashire Police about the image.
Home Office pathologist Dr Richard Shepherd said there was nothing to suggest ‘assault’ in the post-mortem examination.
“There was extensive fractures of the left side of his head. Several extensive fractures extending into the bottom of the skull,” the inquest heard.
“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.”
Senior coroner for Lancashire and Blackburn with Darwen, Dr James Adeley asked if there was anything to suggest an assault or restraint of Slater.
“That’s something I considered very carefully, something I would always look to identify,” Dr Shepherd said.
“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?”
As the pathologist assured: “Nothing to suggest an assault, gripping, holding, nothing of that sort.”