Tenerife is back in the spotlight following the decision to adjourn the inquest into the death of Briton Jay Slater on the island nearly a year ago.
The circumstances surrounding the death of the apprentice bricklayer from Oswaldtwistle in Lancashire attracted massive media interest in the UK at the time and that interest has been rekindled by a surprise development during the official inquest held this week in Preston.
As widely reported at the time, Jay was found dead in a ravine in Tenerife last year after a huge search lasting almost a month, which was sparked when he went missing in unexplained circumstances after attending a party in the south of the island.
The inquest heard detailed evidence concerning the likely cause of the death, with consultant forensic pathologist Dr Richard Shepherd outlining the injuries sustained to Jay’s head, arms, and legs, including extensive fractures to the left side of his head and fractures around his pelvis and hips which were «entirely consistent» with a heavy fall.
His family have repeatedly pressed for the authorities to interview a series of witnesses – particularly two men Jay was seen with hours before he went missing in the Masca hills – to establish exactly what happened to him.
The application was made once more by his mother at the opening of the inquest and coroner Dr James Adeley agreed that the proceedings should be adjourned to give a further opportunity to locate the pair in Tenerife and have them appear before the court to give their account of the time spent with Jay before he set out on the long walk through the rugged Masca scenery to get back to his accommodation. No date has set for the resumption of the inquest but court sources say it could take several months.
