Jay Slater 'went to Airbnb to sell stolen Rolex watch' before death, says friend
Jay Slater told his friend that he was going 'to sell a watch' at a remote Airbnb that he had previously ' taken ', his inquest has heard.
Brad Hargreaves, Jay's 19-year-old pal, has been giving evidence at Jay's inquest in Preston this morning, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Jay, an apprentice bricklayer from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, was found dead at the Juan Lopez Ravine in Tenerife, on July 15 last year.
He had gone missing on June 17, after leaving a party in Playa de las Americas and heading north to a remote Airbnb in Masca, before attempting to return on foot.
Speculation around whether Jay had stolen a Rolex watch was widely reported at the time, while it was also discussed at the previous hearing of Jay's inquest in May.
Speaking to the coroner this morning (July 24), Brad said he was sent a Snapchat by Jay, in which he admitted he had ' taken a watch'.
In another Snapchat message, Jay said he was going back to the Airbnb in Masca with Ayub Qassim and Steven 'Rocky' Roccas.
Brad told the court: "I didn't think anything of it because there are a lot of people selling fake stuff on the strip. Loads of watches.'
Brad told the inquest that Jay said he was going 'to sell a watch' while at the Airbnb.
Asked why he didn't ask Jay more about this, Brad replied: "Because I was under the influence of drugs."
But, in his own evidence to the court, Ayub said that Jay hadn't stolen the watch.
He told the court there was a 'Romanian looky looky guy' who was selling fake watches. The man tried selling a watch to Ayub and he said 'nah, I don't want that, it's fake '. Then he tried selling it to Jay.'
'One thing I can say is that Jay didn't steal no watch,' he tells the court.
Asked why Jay would be saying he had stolen a watch if he hadn't, Ayub said it could have been bravado.
'When you're younger you might exaggerate things," he said.
"But one hundred per cent I didn't see a watch getting taken, maybe he was just bigging himself up to his pals."
Jay, Brad and their mate Lucy Law had been introduced to Ayub and Rocky by another contact, Brandon Hodgson.
Brandon can not be located to give evidence, the court heard today.
Discussing the watch situation, Brad told the coroner the 'only thing' he knows about it is what Jay said on Snapchat, but he suggested Brandon knew more.
"That's why I thought Brandon should be here because he knows a lot more about it than just the Snapchat," he added.
Brad's final call with Jay
Previously, Brad had told the court that on the night before Jay disappeared, Brad says the pals had been out for drinks until 6pm before heading to the festival, where they 'split up because it was so festival'.
He recalled Jay being 'kicked out' of a club, describing him as being 'so drunk he couldn't stand up', but when the group reconvened later on he was 'in a better state'.
Brad told the court Jay had taken ecstasy and cocaine on that night and described him as 'giddy'.
He recalled the final conversation he had face-to-face with Jay at Magic Mike's take-away, where Jay said he was 'gonna stay' with Ayub and Rocky.
The inquest heard Jay video called Brad from the Airbnb in Masca, where he 'showed the bed they had made for him'.
Jay later made another call on Snapchat while he was 'walking down a road', in what would become his final conversation with Brad.
Brad told the inquest: "At that point I might have been feeling a bit worried. He said 'I'm gonna come back down' and he was asking if we had any drinks left at the apartment."
Brad asked Jay how far he was from the apartment, and having checked his phone Jay replied '14 hours' walk'.
"I said wow, why are you so far away, get a taxi back," Brad told the court. "He then said 'I'll ring you back' and that was the last time I spoke to Jay."
Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!
Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today.
You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team.
All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in!
If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like.
To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Herald Scotland
10 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
'I'll make 9/11 look like The Teletubbies' said accused man
The 24 year-old had been arrested after posting online a clip of him blowing up two gas canisters near the River Leven in Methil, Fife. Ross's home was raided and police discovered a drawing marked "Project Payback". Read More: A phone and tablet device were also examined which included the voice message about the 2001 Twin Towers atrocity and him discussing with others "murdering all the people who wronged you". Ross appeared in the dock this week at the High Court in Glasgow. He pled guilty to a charge of behaving in a threatening and abusive manner which included sending the concerning messages and voice notes on Snapchat and Facebook causing an explosion, filming it and putting the footage on social media between June 25 and July 31 2024. He had a not guilty plea to a charge under the Terrorism Act accepted. Ross was remanded in custody and will be sentenced at a later date. A Facebook friend of Ross had spotted the explosion video in late July 2024. He showed it to a young woman who was so "alarmed" she contacted police. Ross was held that day after being spotted in Methil. Detectives - along with Counter Terrorism officers - searched his home in the town. They found the "Project Payback" drawing along with a sketch of what was described as a "homemade explosive device". Inside a desk were various items including a roll of wire, mobile phone batteries, nails, screws and a watch. There were also initial fears about a package in the property which led to homes in the area being evacuated, but it did not contain an explosive. Prosecutor Greg Farrell said Ross "laughed" when first quizzed about what he had filmed claiming it was an "attempt at satire comedy". But, he confirmed that he had blew up two butane gas canisters and had posted it on his Facebook page under the name of a Batman comic villain. Mr Farrell: "He made reference to social media corrupting his decisions." Ross was asked about his interest in Kaczynski - captured in 1996 - and said he was "apparently some kind of mail bomber" that he had learned more about by going down a "rabbit hole" online. Ross went on to insist that he himself was "not a terrorist" as he had "made peace with everything in his life". But, police found a series of concerning messages during checks of his phone and black tablet. In late June 2024, he wrote to 15 users on Facebook Messenger: "Here guys, I am just here to inform you that the only thing stopping you from murdering all of the people who wronged you is just a box. "That is only if you cannot do it correctly and make sure enough evidence is gone so that the charges do not stick." He referred to "instructions on how to make a pipe bomb" adding: "Hope this comes in handy for you one day x". In messages on the day of the River Leven explosion, a social media contact called Ross "a human". Mr Farrell then told the court of a Snapchat conversation with a friend shortly before. Ross stated at one stage: "I am going to make 9/11 look like an episode of the Teletubbies, f*** sake." He then backtracked again claiming it was "satire comedy" and that he was "only joking". The friend replied: "F*** Islam, f*** them all." During further rants, Ross said he had been let down by the "justice system" moaning he had been treated differently because he is a man. In messages to another contact, he said: "I have realised that I simply cannot allow what is happening to humanity and our world to continue. "I can and will have an impact on preventing the worst from happening xx." The court heard there were also photos, videos and sketches of the "Unabomber" on the devices as well as images of a pipe bomb and firearms together with "various other clips which suggest violence". Lord Colbeck deferred sentencing for reports.
Daily Mirror
14 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Teen daughter finds bloody footprints at home before grim discovery
As Fabio Sementilli sat on his patio by the pool he had no idea time was running out xxxx After a successful career as an international celebrity hair stylist, Fabio Sementilli became a vice president at Coty, one of the world 's largest beauty companies. Canadian-born Fabio's creativity and personality made him a well-liked executive, and he was also admired for making everyone feel like they were important. Fabio, 49, and his second wife, Monica, lived in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, in a $2 million home with their two teenage daughters. Fabio also had a son from a previous relationship. Monica and Fabio had been married almost 20 years and enjoyed hosting friends by their pool. It appeared they had a loving marriage, but then tragedy struck. On 23 January 2017, Fabio's youngest daughter arrived home to find bloody footprints. Then she found her dad in a pool of blood with several knife wounds. Distraught, she called 911 and tried to stop the bleeding. Fabio had been watching television and smoking a cigar on his poolside patio and had been violently attacked from behind with an eight-inch hunting knife. He had seven stab wounds to the neck, chest and thigh, and his femoral and carotid arteries were cut. Paramedics couldn't save him. At first it appeared that he had been the victim of a brutal home invasion, as there had been a few in the area targeting wealthy homes. Fabio's Porsche 911 had been stolen and used as a getaway car, although it was quickly found abandoned nearby. A bedroom had been ransacked but the police were suspicious as Fabio was still wearing his $8,000 Rolex watch. The home had CCTV but when investigators went to look at the footage, they noticed the digital video recorder in the garage had been taken. It wasn't an obvious place to find it – and why spend time looking for that, rather than taking other things in the house that were worth a lot of money? Monica Sementilli held a memorial for her husband at the house, days after his death, on the very patio where Fabio had died. People were suspicious of a man with a bandage on his hand who was there with her. A neighbour took a photo of him and forwarded it to the police. Investigators were getting closer to the unidentified man. Blood had been found at the crime scene and in the stolen Porsche. When it was put into the criminal database,there was a match: Robert Baker. He was a convicted sex offender, who had a conviction for acts with a minor. He had also appeared in adult sex films. Baker was now a racquetball instructor at the local fitness club that Sementilli attended and had coached her. Further investigation showed they were having an affair. The community was shocked when Sementilli and Baker were arrested six months after Fabio's death. Another man, Christopher Austin, 39, was also arrested. He was a parole and probation officer dealing with at-risk youth in Oregon. Motivated by money The police determined that Sementilli was the mastermind behind the plot to kill Fabio and that she had left the door unlocked so that Baker and Austin, who Baker had recruited, could enter the house and murder Fabio. The motive was suggested to be a $1.6 million life insurance policy. With Sementilli's family being Italian-Catholic, divorce wasn't an option. As the case unfolded, it became more shocking and more salacious. It was revealed that Baker and Sementilli had an extremely physical relationship, and she had even sent him a naked photo on the day of Fabio's Toronto funeral. The media dubbed her the 'naked widow'. Baker also said Sementilli shaved his initials into her pubic hair and called him 'master' and 'maestro'. He admitted that when they were in cells that were visible to each other, he instructed the widow to partially undress and perform a sexual act, which she did. Officers monitored their correspondence in prison, where the pair used code words and encouraged sex acts that they called 'jailing'. At one point, the police seized a toothpaste tube with Baker's semen in it that he was going to send Sementilli. The intention for it was never revealed. In July 2023, Baker, 63, entered a no contest plea and was sentenced to life without parole. In January this year, Austin pleaded no contest to second-degree murder and received 16 years to life in prison. At the trial, he said that although he hadn't had anything to do with her, Baker had told him Sementilli wanted Fabio 'gone'. At Sementilli's trial this year, the prosecution said she and her lover had plotted to kill Fabio so they would get the life insurance payout. On the day of the killing, the pair traded 95 messages through an encrypted messaging app called Viber. The jury saw video evidence of Sementilli watching a live feed of the house shortly before the stabbing to ensure Baker had a clear path to her husband. Baker was called by the defence team, and he testified that Sementilli didn't know about the plot to kill Fabio. 'I murdered him because I wanted her,' he testified. 'She had nothing to do with it.' He said the plan was his because he wanted to be with her. A liar and a cheat The prosecution said she was the mastermind. 'She's a liar, she's a manipulator, she's a cheater and everything that comes out of her mouth has to be taken with a large grain of salt. Large enough so that you could choke on it,' they said. The jury agreed. Sementilli was convicted of murder and allegations involving financial gain and 'murder while lying in wait'. In June this year, Sementilli, 53, was sentenced and there were emotional statements from those who mourned Fabio. 'The person responsible wasn't a stranger but the woman we had welcomed into our family for over 20 years,' Fabio's sister Loretta Picillo told the judge. 'We treated her like family, and she betrayed all of us. "Monica walked out knowing full well that within minutes her husband Fabio would be viciously attacked and held down. Only a demon could orchestrate the murder of a loving husband and savagely time it so her own daughter would come home and find her father's lifeless body lying in a pool of blood." Sementilli got life without the possibility of parole. Her two daughters continue to maintain her innocence. Fabio's death was the result of a scandalous love triangle that he didn't know he was part of. The talented stylist had his life cut short by the woman he loved, in the home he should have been safe in.
Scottish Sun
21 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Case against crook accused of robbing Man Utd goalie Andre Onana's wife has been dropped
She was targeted outside an Italian restaurant in Alderley Edge, Cheshire, at 10pm on March 29 CROOK IN CLEAR Case against crook accused of robbing Man Utd goalie Andre Onana's wife has been dropped Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE case against a crook accused of robbing the wife of Manchester United goalie Andre Onana has been dropped. Melanie Kamayou, 35, had a £62,000 handbag and gold Rolex watch stolen in a street raid. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 The case against a crook accused of robbing the wife of Manchester United goalie Andre Onana has been dropped Credit: Alamy She was targeted outside an Italian restaurant in Alderley Edge, Cheshire, at 10pm on March 29. Earlier this year Liam Ross, 25, of Wibsey, West Yorks, was charged with the robbery. Last week the case was discontinued after the Crown Prosecution Service offered no evidence, records show. At Chester crown court, Ross pleaded guilty to a separate charge of producing cannabis and was jailed for 24 months. We can now report that in 2021 he was jailed for seven years and three months for burglary. Melanie, a pharmacist, has lived in the UK since 2023 when Cameroon star Onana, 29, joined United from Inter Milan. Ms Kamayou has been married to Onana since 2023. Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham, Rio Ferdinand and Wayne Rooney have all called Alderley Edge home. Former Liverpool stars Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jordan Henderson previously lived there, while the champions' current captain Virgil van Dijk has also been spotted in the area. Wife of Man Utd goalkeeper Andre Onana 'robbed of £62K handbag and Rolex' in horror theft as man, 25, charged
