Latest news with #MarkWilliamsThomas
Daily Mail
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Jay Slater's post-mortem will feature in Channel 4 documentary investigating conspiracy theories around the case and the online abuse suffered by his family
Jay Slater's post-mortem and funeral will feature in a new Channel 4 documentary that will look into conspiracy theories surrounding the case. The Disappearance Of Jay Slater will follow the story of the 19-year-old who vanished in Tenerife last June - only to be found dead a month later at the bottom of a ravine on the Spanish party island. The film, which has been made in collaboration with Mr Slater's family, will include exclusive access to his post-mortem and funeral. It is also set to look at the conspiracy theories that stemmed from the story, the online abuse that the family still receive and the media coverage of the case. Mr Slater's disappearance last summer sparked a global internet storm - with armchair detectives sparking wild theories as to what happened to him. Rita Daniels, Channel 4 commissioning editor, said: 'The story of Jay Slater captured the nation last summer with a fervour and intensity fuelled by armchair detectives and internet culture. 'We are so glad to be working with Anna on a sensitively handled exploration of the family's experience, and understanding the impact of being in the middle of a social media storm, amplified by grief. 'The film holds a light up to our current society and is exactly the story that is a necessity for Channel 4 to tell.' Produced by Candour Productions, it will also look at the world of online armchair detectives and the consequences of their actions. It comes after celebrity investigator Mark Williams-Thomas last week revealed the first full witness account from the last person to see Mr Slater alive. According to the extraordinary new account, the 19-year-old armed himself with two knives and stole a bag of ketamine before fleeing an AirBnB on Tenerife. Mr Williams-Thomas found that those around Mr Slater on the night he disappeared spoke of him having taken a cocktail of drugs that left him 'on a mission'. Extraordinarily the TV investigator managed to track down two key witnesses in the case - just a month after the coroner officially appointed to investigate Mr Slater's death expressed exasperation that the police had been unable to find the same pair. Those witnesses include Ayub Qassim - the man who the apprentice bricklayer from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire accompanied back to an AirBnB after staying up all night on drugs following a music festival. Convicted drug dealer Qassim, 31, is understood to be was the last person to see the apprentice bricklayer before he vanished in mountains high above the village of Masca and had been due to give evidence at his inquest last month but the coroner said he could not be traced. In the two part podcast called Jay Slater The Investigation, Williams-Thomas underlines how Qassim served a nine-year jail term after being convicted in 2015, following the smashing of a plot to flood the streets of Cardiff with Class A drugs. Speaking to Williams-Thomas, Qassim describes how he had picked up Lucy Law and two friends Bradley Hargreaves and Brandon Hodgson, and they went to look for Jay after she had contacted him on social media. In the podcast, Williams Thomas says: 'What Qassim said next was really significant and I believe provides real context to a very number of important aspects of this case.' Qassim tells him: 'They were just doing my head in, one said. 'That's the two bottles of Henny [Hennessy cognac], they were just doing my head in. 'In the end I just turned to Brandon and said:' Look Brandon, one of your mates, yesterday walked way because he's f**** off with the ket [ketamine] and he want missing. Tell this f****** idiot to get back in the car.' Williams-Thomas says: 'So, let's just re hear that again,' before playing the clip once more, and then adding:' I believe this is really significant new information. 'When Qassim said ket, he was referring to ketamine and my information is that this drug was readily available and that Jay had definitely been using it. Search and rescue teams hunt for missing Jay Slater last summer 'I have further information about the supply of ketamine into the country, in the UK ketamine is a class B drug carrying a maximum of five years sentence for possession and 14 years for supply.' Williams-Thomas adds: 'So, Qassim says in the recording that Jay left the rental on the morning and took with him Qassim's ketamine. 'If you wonder why we've not heard this before, his police statement of course made no mention of this. 'My intelligence, however, is that the rental location was specifically chosen so as not to being attention to nay illegal activity.' The release date for Channel 4's new show is yet to be announced.
Daily Mail
12-06-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Jay Slater's friend Lucy Law reveals what he told her on night he disappeared as bombshell new claims emerge over British teen's Tenerife death
Jay Slater armed himself with two knives before fleeing an AirBnB ] after stealing a bag of ketamine and fearing repercussions, according to extraordinary new accounts of the night he disappeared. The claims - including the first full witness statement from the last person to see the 19 year old alive – were uncovered in a painstaking investigation over many months by celebrity detective Mark Williams-Thomas. Jay sparked a global media storm when he vanished in Tenerife last June only to be found dead a month later with severe head injuries at the bottom of a remote ravine on the Spanish party island. Investigator Williams-Thomas reveals his fresh findings in a two-part podcast on the case which is set to be released later this week - and reported for the first time here. He found that those who were around him that night spoke of Slater having taken a cocktail of drugs that left him 'on a mission' which saw him first steal drugs and then arm himself. Extraordinarily the TV investigator has managed to track down two key witnesses in the case - just a month after the coroner officially appointed to investigate Jay's death expressed exasperation that the police had been unable to find the same pair. Those witnesses include Ayub Qassim - the man who the apprentice bricklayer from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire accompanied back to an AirBnB after staying up all night on drugs following a music festival. Convicted drug dealer Qassim, 31, is understood to be was the last person to see the apprentice bricklayer before he vanished in mountains high above the village of Masca and had been due to give evidence at his inquest last month but the coroner said he could not be traced. In the two part podcast called Jay Slater The Investigation, Williams-Thomas underlines how Qassim served a nine-year jail term after being convicted in 2015, following the smashing of a plot to flood the streets of Cardiff with Class A drugs. Speaking to Williams-Thomas, Qassim describes how he had picked up Lucy Law and two friends Bradley Hargreaves and Brandon Hodgson, and they went to look for Jay after she had contacted him on social media. In the podcast, Williams Thomas says:' What Qassim said next was really significant and I believe provides real context to a very number of important aspects of this case.' Qassim tells him:' They were just doing my head in, one said. 'That's the two bottles of Henny [Hennessy cognac], they were just doing my head in. 'In the end I just turned to Brandon and said:' Look Brandon, one of your mates, yesterday walked way because he's F**** off with the ket [ketamine] and he want missing. Tell this fucking idiot to get back in the car.' Williams-Thomas says:' So, let's just re hear that again,' before playing the clip once more, and then adding:' I believe this is really significant new information. 'When Qassim said ket, he was referring to ketamine and my information is that this drug was readily available and that Jay had definitely been using it. 'I have further information about the supply of ketamine into the country, in the UK ketamine is a class B drug carrying a maximum of five years sentence for possession and 14 years for supply.' Williams-Thomas adds:' So, Qassim says in the recording that Jay left the rental on the morning and took with him Qassim's ketamine. 'If you wonder why we've not heard this before, his police statement of course made no mention of this. 'My intelligence, however, is that the rental location was specifically chosen so as not to being attention to nay illegal activity.' Also speaking for the first time since last July is a woman Jay had been holidaying with, that friend Lucy Law who also didn't attend last month's inquest - only for her parents to later tell MailOnline the first they knew of a requirement to attend was when police had arrived at their house asking for her on the day on the inquest. She describes how Jay told her he was 'on a mission', couldn't 'go back to the rental [where she and he were staying]' and he had 'taken two kitchen knives down his pants in case anything kicks off.' Williams-Thomas goes on to say he has shared the information with Jay's mother Debbie, who he describes is 'heartbroken' and adds:' It is always so hard for a parent to hear things that are uncomfortable and perhaps show a loved one in a bad light.' Last month at Preston Coroner's Court, an inquest was opened into Jay's death, but it was halted after key witnesses including Lucy Law and Qassim were not present and it has now been adjourned to a later date. In his podcast Williams- Thomas adds: 'Debbie has not wanted me to release the information from Qassim that says Jay took his ketamine when he left the rental because she says it will bring further shame on the family. 'I don't believe this is the case, I believe as an investigator it is vital that all credible information should be considered and investigated, and I have shared this information with the Spanish police, I know it doesn't form part of the inquest, and I believe it should. 'Hence why I have taken the decision to release it ahead of the inquest so it can be properly investigated. 'So, if Jay did take Qassim's ketamine this would explain why he put two knives in his waist band for his own protection and why very significantly he said to Lucy he couldn't go back there. 'This evidence gives rise to a reasonable belief that Jay was scared or worried and that's why he had the knives in his waistband and also if he left with Qassim's ketamine why he left suddenly and couldn't go back.' Jay, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, was on Tenerife for the NRG music festival on June 17 and his disappearance sparked a huge month-long manhunt, one of the biggest ever on the island and his body was eventually found at the foot of an isolated gorge. Qassim and his friend Steven Roccas, who was also staying at the AirBnB, did not attend the inquest but Qassim since said on social media he would turn up for the next hearing. Jay is thought to have died after deciding to walk home and then got disoriented as he tried to take a short court from Masca back to his hotel at Playa de las Americas through a treacherous gorge. Williams-Thomas concluded the podcast by saying:' Jay was heavily under the influence of drink and drugs, and in his own words 'on a mission' met up with a convicted drugs dealer who from the evidence I have seen remains heavily involved in the supply scene. 'Having done a thorough investigation and spoken to witnesses the conclusion is that Jay's death is a tragic accident with no third party involvement.' Qassim was not immediately available for comment but on his social media he appeared to have a dig at Williams-Thomas. Posting a picture of himself he wrote:' All I see and hear for the last nine months, all woof woof. 'It's getting more than silly now me personally not there's a family involved here [delet e- u profiting from their grief and 90% of you doing it are adults. Embarrassing. Lol. 'The people that watch and give it anytime you're just as xxxxxxxx bad. Lol.' He signed off by saying:' Don't forget to subscribe to MWT patreon,' adding a cash and laughing emoji, patreon is a money-making platform for digital content creators where people can subscribe. He and his pal Roccas appeared to be on holiday in Ibiza as an image on the latter's social media showed a beach and pool captioned "Ibiza" and there was also a video of Qassim dancing in a restaurant. Jay's inquest heard how traces of cocaine, ecstasy, and ketamine had been found in his body during a postmortem, and he had been 'off his head on drugs'. He was apparently trying to walk back from Masca to Playa de las Americas when he died - a journey that would have taken 10 hours under a hot sun and with no water. Before he left the AirBnB he sent a picture of himself via Snapchat to Lucy which showed him on the doorstep holding a cigarette and he tagged the location. He then made two final phone calls - one to Lucy where he said he was lost and his phone was running out of charge and one to Bradley, describing how he was walking cross rough stony ground. The inquest also heard from another friend called Joshua Forshaw who said he had met Jay while flying to Tenerife and that he had received a message from him the morning he disappeared, saying he has stolen a watch and was trying to sell it for £10,000. The text read:'Yes cuz ended up getting thrown out of there me with 2 Mali kids just took an AP off some xxxx on way to sell it for 10 quid.' Jay's disappearance sparked a storm of attention on social media with TikTok sharing dozens of outlandish and distressing theories which were slammed by his mother. The inquest is due to resume at a later date.
Daily Mail
24-05-2025
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Jay Slater detective says Spanish police ignored bombshell evidence after he offered to share crucial audio recording that could shed light on British 19-year-old's last days in Tenerife
An ex-detective who helped Jay Slater's family when the 19-year-old went missing in Tenerife has claimed that the Spanish police ignored a key piece of evidence. Mark Williams-Thomas has accused Spanish authorities of failing to investigate an audio recording he offered to share which may have shed light on the British teenager's disappearance. In a shocking seven-minute long video posted on X/ Twitter on Friday, Mr Williams-Thomas reveals the alleged difficulties he faced when dealing with the police in Tenerife. 'I sent the information I had in an email to Spanish authorities. the ex-detective said. 'I told them I wasn't able to share the audio recording at this point because I needed to explain to them how I had obtained it and also I was very conscious that it was highly sensitive and I didn't want it just being shared all around. 'They've never come back to me,' he added. The caption of his post reads: 'Certain cases attract huge media attention and the landscape is so different now with social media and the internet. 'What is always key for me is the end game, 'JUSTICE' (which takes many forms), which is why I always work with the authorities. 'However some authorities and countries are open to receiving information batter than others.' His bombshell claims come as an inquest into Jay's death was launched at Preston Crown Court this month.
The Sun
22-05-2025
- The Sun
I'm an ex-cop who hunted for Jay Slater – his drug dealer ‘pal' MUST come forward and answer key questions from inquest
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. Mark Williams-Thomas - who worked on the Madeleine McCann case - conducted his "own investigation" after the 19-year-old went missing on the island of Tenerife in June last year. 11 11 11 The inquest into Jay's death was suddenly adjourned yesterday after his grieving mum Debbie pleased the coroner to summon crucial witnesses - including convicted drug dealer Ayub Qassim. 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 the 19-year-old Brit back to an Airbnb in 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 Jay's disappearance sparked widespread media interest - as well as a slew of social media conspiracy theories. 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. 11 11 11 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. On Wednesday night, Law's family revealed she was simply on holiday on the very same island where Jay died. 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. 11 11 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 By Katie Davis, Chief Foreign Reporter (Digital) 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. 11
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
Jay Slater 'wanted to sell watch strap for £10,000' and showed 'knives down his trousers', inquest hears
Jay Slater sent a message about 'selling' an expensive watch strap moments before his disappearance, an inquest has heard. Claims were previously made about Jay stealing a £12,000 Rolex watch on the night before his disappearance in Tenerife last June. The alleged theft was a line of inquiry made by investigator Mark Williams-Thomas as Jay's disappearance dominated national headlines. READ MORE: Jay Slater's friends who were with him in Tenerife 'being looked for by police' but they can't be found READ MORE: Jay Slater inquest LIVE updates as details heard on teen's death in Tenerife His mum, Debbie Duncan, had described the claims as 'nonsense' - telling The Sun last August that her son 'would never have been involved in anything like that'. Senior coroner Dr James Adeley has now explored the claims during Jay's inquest at Preston Coroner's Court today (May 21). A witness named Josh Forshaw met Jay at Manchester Airport on the way to Tenerife, before later seeing him at the NRG music festival, which Jay attended with his friends. Josh told the inquest Jay was 'off his head on drugs' and 'seemed dead happy' at the festival before he disappeared on June 17 last year. The inquest has heard Jay sent a message to Josh in which he said: "Ended up getting thrown out with two Mali kids, just took an AP [expensive watch strap] off somebody and was on the way to sell it." Josh claimed Jay told him he was going to sell the watch strap for '10 quid' - which he claimed was slang for £10,000, not £10. He also claimed Jay sent him a picture showing 'knives down his trousers'. Josh says the picture Jay sent him of two knives down his trousers, was captioned 'in case it kicks off'. He told the coroner he didn't inform Spanish police about this image. He told the court that after returning home, he informed Lancashire Police about the picture with the knives. The inquest continues this afternoon - read our live coverage here. --- For the latest stories and breaking news visit Get the latest headlines, features and analysis that matter to you by signing up to our various Manchester Evening News newsletters here. You can also get all your favourite content from the Manchester Evening News on WhatsApp. Click here to stay up to date with the latest. Follow us on X @mennewsdesk for all the latest stories and updates on breaking incidents from across the region and beyond, as well as on our Facebook page here. If you prefer reading our stories on your phone, consider downloading the Manchester Evening News app here, and our newsdesk will make sure every time an essential story breaks, you'll be the first to hear about it.
