A key witness who failed to attend the inquest into the death of Jay Slater is ‘on holiday’ in Tenerife and unaware she had to give evidence, her family has revealed.
The inquest was dramatically halted on Wednesday after a tearful plea from his mother that she “needed answers” but witnesses were not there to provide them.
A number of people had been asked to give evidence at the hearing at Preston Coroner's Court looking into the death of the 19-year-old who vanished after a night out on the Spanish island last summer before being found dead a month later.
They had either not been traced or were unable to attend, despite extensive efforts, the court was told.
The witnesses include friends the teenager was with on the night out before his disappearance and two men whose Airbnb holiday let he went to before disappearing.
One of the friends, Lucy Law, 20, was one of the last people to see the British tourist alive and reportedly received a final call from him saying he had a cut on his leg was lost, had one per cent charge on his phone and needed water.
Coroner Dr James Adeley told the hearing of the missing witnesses: “We can't find them, they have stopped responding to phone calls.”
But on Wednesday evening Ms Law's family insisted to MailOnline that she was simply on holiday - on the same island where Jay had died - and was unaware that they wanted her to give evidence.
Speaking at the family home in Burnley, Lucy's stepfather Andy Davis told the news outlet: “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.
“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.”
Mailonline also reported sources within the Slater family later saying they were aware where other supposedly missing witnesses were and had been able to find out easily.
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 inquest at Preston Coroner's Court heard that witnesses may have been reluctant to appear because drugs may have been involved - as Jay was found to have traces of cocaine, ecstasy and ketamine in his body when found dead.
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.”
Mr Slater, 19, was found dead 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 eventually 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.
Preston Coroner's Court heard on Wednesday that traces of drugs, including cocaine, ketamine and ecstasy, were found in his body and pathologists concluded his death from head injuries was consistent with a fall, and there was no evidence of assault.
But the missing witnesses left Jay’s mother Debbie Duncan with questions unanswered.
After all the evidence had been heard on Wednesday, Ms Duncan addressed Dr Adeley, saying: "How can we ever get any understanding?
"There's things we want to question. We want these people to be sat in front of us, because our son went on holiday and didn't come back, so there's questions we need to ask."
After a brief break in proceedings Dr Adeley returned to court, agreeing to an adjournment to make a final effort to trace the witnesses.
He said a key question for any inquest is how somebody died and in Mr Slater's case a simple explanation could be "he has walked into the middle of nowhere and fallen off a cliff".
He added: "However, you wish to speak to the witnesses who last saw him. I will do what I can to accord with your wishes and provide the answers you want. I'm not confident of success."
Toxicology expert Dr Stephanie Martin told the hearing that analysis of Mr Slater's body showed traces of MDMA and MDA, commonly known as ecstasy, along with cocaine and alcohol.
Analysis of samples by Spanish authorities also showed the presence of ketamine which was not found in the UK samples.
Home Office pathologist Dr Richard Shepherd detailed Mr Slater's injuries from his post-mortem examination.
Dr Shepherd said: "The pattern of the injuries were entirely consistent with a heavy fall, a fall from a height, landing on his head."
Dr Adeley asked the witness if there was any suggestion of an assault or restraint of the teenager.
Dr Shepherd said: "That's something I considered very carefully, something I would always look to identify.
"The pattern of the injuries when someone is assaulted or restrained is very different from the type of injuries and pattern I found with Jay."
Dr Adeley continued: "Nothing to suggest that was the case?"
Dr Shepherd said he concluded the cause of death as a head injury.
Detective Chief Inspector Rachel Higson, from Lancashire Constabulary, told the hearing analysis had been carried out on communications on Snapchat and the location of Mr Slater's phone in the period he disappeared.
She said during the evening out with friends there were messages from them to him advising him to go home as he was "off his head".
A further message from a friend read: "You need to get home lad you are off your Barnet."
Mr Slater replied: "You think I'm going home, you must be disabled."
Later, he sent a short video of him in the back of a moving vehicle.
At 7.08am Mr Slater sent a seven-second video of his surroundings outside the Airbnb let in Masca.
Ms Higson said phone location data suggested Mr Slater left the property at around 7.45am.
At 8.35am, Ms Law sent him a message saying: "Before it gets boiling get back to wherever you have come from," and at 8.50am there was the last known outgoing communication from Mr Slater's phone, a 22-second call from him to Ms Law.
Analysis of his phone battery showed he had just 3% power at 8.22am and 1% at 8.52am.
Health data recorded by the phone showed a lot of steps and activity before 8.49am but none after 8.51am, which suggested the phone battery had died.
Ms Higson said Mr Slater made reference in phone messages to being "incapacitated" and there were multiple attempts by friends to get in touch with him.
The officer added: "There is nothing at all that would suggest Jay was frightened, under any threat, scared of anybody or forced to do anything against his will."
A date for the conclusion of the inquest is yet to be set following the adjournment.
