The inquest into the death of teenager Jay Slater who died on Tenerife while on holiday last summer was dramatically adjourned at the request of his family.
Mr Slater, 19, was found in a ravine in a remote national park last July after a desperate 29-day search that gripped the nation.
The teenager, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, 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.
In the early hours of the next day he went to an AirBnB apartment with other people he had met while on holiday, then subsequently vanished and was reported missing on June 18.
He was apparently attempting the treacherous 25-mile walk back to his apartment when he fell to his death.
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 after he apparently tried to walk home
A number of witnesses in contact with Mr Slater shortly before his disappearance could not be traced or were not available to give evidence at the full inquest hearing that began on Wednesday.
They included the two British men who rented the AirBnb - convicted drug dealer Ayub Qassim, 31, and Steven Roccas, previously known as 'Rocky'– who did not attend the hearing.
Mr Slater's mother Debbie Duncan, 55, in an emotional outburst at the inquest told Lancashire senior coroner Dr James Adeley: 'How can we ever get any understanding? We know he died, he had an accident.'
She added, breaking down into tears: “There's things that we want to question. We want these people to be sat in front of us. Something went wrong that day, he didn't come back. There's questions we need to ask - please.”
Jay's father Warren Slater, 58 had earlier told the court: "The two people who can put some light on whatever happened to Jay aren't in court today."
The coroner agreed to pause proceedings so she could compose herself. He later adjourned it altogether so his staff could make further efforts to find Mr Qassim and Mr Roccas, but warned the family he was “not confident of success”.
The inquest had earlier heard Jay was found to have drugs and alcohol in his system before he died from a head injury.
Two friends he was on holiday with in Tenerife before he vanished also “can't be located”, the inquest heard on Wednesday.
Lucy Law – who received a final call last June from the British tourist saying he had a cut leg was lost, had one per cent charge on his phone and needed water – is among those who could not be traced to give evidence, the coroner revealed at the start of his inquest.
Jay made a heartbreaking final call to friend Lucy saying he had cut his leg, was lost, dehydrated and had just one per cent battery on his phone after he left the Airbnb.
Brad Hargreaves, who apprentice bricklayer Slater had also been on holiday with, can also not be traced, the inquest was told.
As proceedings began at Preston Coroner's Court, Dr Adeley said police had failed in attempts to contact Ms Law and several of Mr Slater's other British friends.
“We can't find them, they have stopped responding to phone calls,” he said while Mr Slater's parents Debbie, 55, and father, listened in silence.
Dr Adeley also 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 mobile last pinged in the mountainous Rural de Teno Park after Jay walked the wrong way from the Airbnb.
After a month-long search, Jay's body was found in a ravine on July 15 last year - near to where his phone last gave a signal.
A post-mortem examination concluded he died of traumatic head injuries, consistent with a fall from height.
The inquest also heard his severe skull and pelvis fractures were consistent with a fall from a height - and that traces of cocaine, ecstasy and ketamine were in his body.
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.
Analysis of samples by the Spanish authorities also showed the presence of ketamine which was not found in the UK samples.
He found no sign of injuries associated with Mr Slater being assaulted prior to his death – but said his post mortem examination could not rule out the possibility that Jay had been pushed.
Dr Richard Shepherd said the injuries seen in assault victims were 'very different from the type of injuries I saw with Jay".
The pathologist said decomposition of Mr Slater's body during the 28 days it lay at the bottom of the ravine in the hot Tenerife climate meant he could not "exclude" the possibility of a push "because a push would not leave a mark".
"But with that proviso there was nothing to indicate an assault or gripping of any sort," he added.
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 no 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.
Statements were read from Spanish locals Ramon Hernandez and Juan Diaz, who were working near the holiday let Mr Slater had stayed at.
Both statements said at around 7.45am on the day Mr Slater disappeared, an "English-speaking guy" carrying a half-litre bottle of Coca-Cola, approached them and asked what time the local bus arrived.
The man, later identified as Mr Slater, was told a bus came around 10am.
He also asked about taxis but was told no local taxi service was available and the Spanish men then continued working and did not see where Mr Slater went.
The inquest has been adjourned. A further hearing date has yet to be set.
