Spanish court documents, including the toxicology report for Jay Slater, were fraudulently leaked and shared on social media – despite being highly confidential
Daniel Bird Assistant Celebrity and Entertainment Editor
12:05, 22 Sep 2025
Jay’s mother, Debbie, was told by a Preston coroner that the information had only been disclosed to her(Image: Facebook)
Just weeks before Jay’s death, the teen had been attending a festival with friends Lucy Law, Brad Hargreaves and Brandon Hodgson. Jay was found dead in a ravine in Tenerife’s Parque Rural de Teno on July 15, 2024, following a month-long search. After leaving the RG music festival in Playa de las Americas on June 17, he travelled with two men to an Airbnb in the national park area, 22 miles from where he had been staying with his friends.
But following his disappearance, social media was flooded with conspiracy theories relating to his vanishing, including people claiming Jay was actually alive and his disappearance was a “scam”. But a new Channel 4 documentary reveals that the toxicology report from the Spanish courts was also fraudulently leaked.
Jay’s toxicology reports were shared on YouTube(Image: Family Handout/LBT Global/PA)
It was revealed by Preston Coroner’s officer Alice Swarbrick that Jay’s body had traces of MDMA and cocaine in the hours prior to his death, but while there was evidence of the drugs in his system, this didn’t mean they formed part of the cause of his death. Jay’s mum explained that while it was a shock to her. “He’s a young adult and that’s what they do when they go to festivals, it’s not a shock, it’s just upsetting,” she said, adding that it was “upsetting the way he died.”
However, Jay’s heartbroken mum was informed that the toxicology report had only been disclosed to her and wouldn’t be shared anywhere else. But the documentary instantly cut to a string of YouTube videos, which shared screenshots of the toxicology report, stating Jay’s full name – Jay Dean Slater.
“25th March 2025. In Tenerife, Spanish court documents are fraudulently leaked and published on YouTube,” the caption says, adding: “Including Jay’s Spanish toxicology reports.”
Jay’s heartbroken mother, Debbie, said the family felt ‘powerless’ after the confidential documents were leaked(Image: Channel 4)
Speaking on the documentary, Jay’s mum, Debbie Duncan, said: “It’s just another kick in the teeth, but how is it even allowed? Official court documents, talking about our son, it’s lawless, ain’t it? There’s nothing we can do, we’re just powerless.”
Later on, pathologist, Dr Richard Shepherd, explained that ruling out injuries inflicted by a third party was “a very, very important part of this investigation, as Jay had “not been shot, he’s not been stabbed, he’s not been strangled.”
“A major head injury at the side, how do we explain that?” before going on to state that Jay’s injuries are consistent with severe trauma to the head, which could have been a result of falling down a slope. He also stated that he couldn’t rule out the possibility of Jay being pushed, as the push would leave no marks.
Dr James Adeley, Senior Coroner for Lancashire and Blackburn with Darwen explained that the case had become complicated due to social media coverage, as witnesses had expressed fear over giving evidence, due to the social media commentary from online slueths. “Social media has made obtaining answers more difficult,” he said.
Only three of five witnesses were able to be located: Ayub Qassim and Lucy Law both gave virtual evidence, while Bradley Geoghegan gave evidence in person. Jay was found dead in a ravine in Tenerife’s Parque Rural de Teno on July 15, 2024. After leaving a festival in Playa de las Americas on June 17, he travelled with two men to an Airbnb, 22 miles from where the friends were staying.
The Channel 4 film also reveals previously unheard audio, as well as unsent messages, as well as access to the Slater family as they continue to search for answers about what had happened to him.
The Disappearance of Jay Slater airs on Channel 4 on Sunday, September 28, at 9pm.
Debbie Slater, the mother of Jay Slater, who went missing in Tenerife in 2024, is heard speaking to UK police the day after her son went missing in a new Channel 4 documentary
Jay Slater’s mum says her “legs turned to jelly” and she called police to report him missing
In a new Channel 4 documentary, viewers will hear Debbie Duncan speak to the UK police the day after Jay went missing on holiday. “He has been located miles and miles away from where he is staying, up a bloody mountain,” she tells UK police after calling 999.
She then tells police how Jay spoke to his friend Lucy Law but only had 1% battery so the conversation was short-lived and speaks of her concern and not knowing the two lads he went off with.
Jay, 19, from Oswaldtwistle in Lancashire, went missing in Tenerife in June 2024 after attending a music festival.
Jay Slater’s mother speaks in the upcoming Channel 4 documentary (Image: Supplied)
The Disappearance of Jay Slater airs on Channel 4 next weekend (Image: Channel 4)
CCTV footage showed him in nightclubs but he then got into a car with two men he had met on the holiday and was driven to an Airbnb in the remote village of Masca, about 22 miles (36km) away from where he was staying.
It is thought he then tried to get back to where he was staying and got into difficulty.
On a separate second call to Spanish police, his friend Lucy tells them: “My friend he’s met some people, and they’ve drove him up into the mountains. I don’t know why and he’s left the house,
“And I don’t know if something happened, and I was telling him, you need to go back to your friends and tell them to drive you back down. And he said ‘No, I can’t. I can’t’. But I don’t know why that was.”
The Disappearance of Jay Slater airs on Channel 4 next Sunday night and has never-before-seen CCTV footage, previously unheard audio, the discovery of unsent messages, and access to the Slater family as they search for answers about what happened to Jay.
After the calls to police a huge search was launched before Jay’s body was found in a remote area near the village of Masca on 15 July.
Debbie paid tribute to her late son at an inquest into his death in July
Within hours of Jay ‘s disappearance in the summer of 2024, mass online interest set conspiracy theories flying, causing a social media storm led by true-crime keyboard detectives.
The case became the focus of global attention, with over 30 million videos online speculating about Jay’s whereabouts.
At an inquest into Jay’s death in July, the late teenager’s mother told how her son’s death had “touched the hearts of the nation”. Debbie gave a tribute to the 19-year-old, whose death from head injuries was ruled an accident, following a two-day hearing at Preston Coroner’s Court.
Coroner Dr James Adeley ruled Jay, who had taken a number of drugs, had fallen in a dangerous ravine, suffering un-survivable head injuries while try to walk back to his holiday let across mountainous terrain in Tenerife, in July last year.
Debbie, accompanied by the teenager’s father, Warren Slater, wept as she told the court her son was “full of fun and was always a joy to be around” with many friends.
He was close to completing his apprenticeship as a bricklayer, was learning to drive and had been “counting down the days” to his first holiday with friends abroad.
“Not in a million years did we predict what was to unfold,” she said. “He had a large circle of good friends who have been left devastated at his tragic death. Our lives will never be the same without Jay in it.”
Her son’s disappearance prompted huge media coverage and sparked a multitude of conspiracy theories on social media.
Debbie added: “He may of just been a story for the past 13 months, a story full of untruths. He did touch the hearts of the nation and that overwhelms us. We ask you to please now let Jay rest in eternal peace.”
*The Disappearance of Jay Slater airs on Channel 4 on Sunday September 28 at 9pm.
Jay Slater’s disappearance sparked a social media storm as the 19-year-old tragically died while on holiday in Tenerife after sending a haunting message to his friend
A vast search was carried out in an effort to find Jay after he was reported missing on June 17, 2024. Sadly, Jay’s body was found in a remote area near the village of Masca on 15 July.
The search for Jay revealed he had vanished after being driven about 22 miles into the mountains to an Airbnb with two men he had met on the holiday. He fell around 80ft to his death in a treacherous ravine while trying to walk back to his accommodation in Los Cristianos.
Jay’s mum revealed she saw his final text message that was never sent(Image: Channel 4)
Debbie logged into Jay’s phone following his death(Image: Supplied)
Within hours of Jay’s disappearance, mass online interest set conspiracy theories flying, causing a social media storm led by true-crime keyboard detectives. The case became the focus of global attention, with over 30 million videos online speculating about Jay’s whereabouts.
Now, a new documentary is set to detail his family’s hunt for answers and is the first time they have spoken publicly about the tragic case. During one moment, Jay’s mum Debbie Duncan recalled finding an unsent message when she logged onto her son’s Snapchat account.
After finally receiving Jay’s phone, Debbie found a devastating unsent message to his friend. She said: “When we signed into Jay’s Snapchat there was an unsent message from Jay to Brad [Geohegan].
“So the message was obviously just flying around and then the message sent to Brad, which obviously gave Brad a fright. He messaged me straight away ‘are you on Jay’s phone?’. I said yeah we’ve just signed into his Snapchat.
“He said ‘I’ve just got a message that’s just come through from Jay’. The last message he sent. He said ‘listen, I’m not going to make it’. It’s kind of like he knew he just wasn’t going to make it.”
He sent a message to his friend Brad, but it never went through(Image: C4)
Jay’s phone is believed to have ran out of charge when his call to friend Lucy Law ended at 8:50am. The documentary plays the desperate ‘999 call’ she made to Spanish police where she tells them: “Jay said he is going to die up there”.
Lucy had known Jay for about six years and was the last person to speak to him on the phone. On the call to Spanish police, Lucy tells them: “My friend he’s met some people, and they’ve drove him up into the mountains. I don’t know why and he’s left the house,
“And I don’t know if something happened, and I was telling him, you need to go back to your friends and tell them to drive you back down.
“And he said ‘No, I can’t. I can’t’. But I don’t know why that was.” The police then asked for the friend’s name and Lucy tells them it is Jay Slater.
The police ask if her friend has asked to be rescued and she added: “Yes, said he feels like he’s going to die up there. And then the phone cut off.” The audio from the call with the police has never been heard before and sheds new light on the events of June 17.
Channel 4 ’s new film The Disappearance of Jay Slater will air next weekend. The Disappearance of Jay Slater also has never-before-seen CCTV footage, previously unheard audio, the discovery of unsent messages, and access to the Slater family as they search for answers about what happened to Jay.
* The Disappearance of Jay Slater airs on Channel 4 on Sunday September 28 at 9pm.
Former NFL quarterback Jay Cutler pleaded guilty to a DUI charge but had three other charges, including for possession of a handgun while under the influence, dropped during a Tennessee court appearance Tuesday following his October 2024 arrest.
The 2008 Pro Bowl player was sentenced to four days in Williamson County jail, which he is set to start serving Sept. 29, according to WSMV-TV in Nashville. The Times has reached out to attorneys for Cutler and Tennessee’s 21st District but did not immediately receive responses.
As part of his plea deal, WSMV reported, Cutler agreed to forfeit his Glock pistol. In addition to the jail time, he will be on unsupervised probation for one year. He also had his Tennessee drivers license revoked and is required to pay a $350 fine and attend a DUI safety class.
Cutler was arrested Oct. 17 after Franklin Police Department officers responded to a minor collision in which it appeared that Cutler’s vehicle rear-ended another vehicle. According to the police, Cutler smelled of alcohol, had bloodshot eyes and slurred his words.
After he refused a field sobriety test, police said, Cutler was taken to a hospital and a blood sample was taken after a search warrant was obtained. Two firearms were found in his vehicle, according to the police, including a loaded pistol.
All four charges against Cutler — which also included failure to exercise due care and violating implied consent — were misdemeanors. He was released on a $5,000 bond.
Cutler was selected 11th overall by the Denver Broncos in the 2006 draft and became their starting quarterback late in the season. He was traded to the Chicago Bears before the 2009 season and led the team to the NFC championship game that year, in his only postseason appearance.
Cutler was cut by the Bears in March 2017 and played one more season with the Miami Dolphins before ending his career. He and reality TV star Kristen Cavallari were married from 2013-2022 and have three children together.
The Repair Shop fans have called for the show to be axed – following Jay Blades’ rape arrestCredit: BBC
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The 55-year-old has been charged with two counts of rapeCredit: BBC
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He was the show’s “foreman” from 2017 until 2014Credit: BBC
On Tuesday (August 5), the show returned to its usual 8pm slot, although Blades was not featured.
Writing online, fans have called for The Repair Shop to be axed after nearly a decade on air.
One penned: “Could never see the point of him being in the Repair Shop he never restored anything but worn a new leather apron the show is better without him now.”
Another added: “Surely you must take the Repair shop off now if the presenter is accused of physical rape.”
A third queried: “Will theBBCbe pulling repeats of The Repair Shop now?”
Police confirmed the allegations against the dad of three from Shropshire.
He fronted the hit BBC show for seven years before stepping back last year.
King Charles appeared alongside him on a special episode in 2022.
West Mercia Police confirmed charges against the dad of three, with a magistrates’ court date set for next Wednesday.
A spokesperson said: “Jason Blades, 55, of Claverley in Shropshire, has been charged with two counts of rape.
Axed TV host Jay Blades was weeks away from starring on new reality series before domestic violence arrest
“He is due to appear at Telford magistrates’ court on 13 August 2025.”
The TV star is currently awaiting trial on a separate charge of controlling and coercive behaviour against estranged wife Lisa-Marie Zbozen, which he has denied.
He was arrested in May 2024 – on the same day fitness instructor Lisa announced her decision to end their 18-month marriage.
In September, Blades was charged.
His actions allegedly caused Lisa “to fear, on at least two occasions, that violence will be used against her”.
The presenter pleaded not guilty to the charge — which relates to the period between January 1, 2023 and September 12, 2024 — at a court hearing last October.
TV presenter Jay Blades has been charged with two counts of rape.
Mr Blades, best known for hosting BBC show The Repair Shop, will appear in court next Wednesday over the allegations, police said.
A West Mercia Police spokesperson said: “Jason Blades, 55, of Claverley in Shropshire, has been charged with two counts of rape.
“He is due to appear at Telford magistrates’ court on 13 August 2025.”
Separately, a pre-trial review is taking place for Mr Blades at Worcester Crown & County Court on Tuesday regarding a charge of engaging in controlling and coercive behaviour against the presenter’s estranged wife Lisa Zbozen. Mr Blades pleaded not guilty to the charge at a plea hearing in October.
Mr Blades became one of the best-known faces on British TV after The Repair Shop launched in 2017, with members of the public bringing their treasured possessions and heirlooms to be fixed.
It began in a daytime slot and then moved to primetime after it became a hit.
The show won a National Television Award in 2023, and also won a Bafta the same year for its royal special, in which the future King took a clock and a vase to the workshop.
He has also hosted Money for Nothing, Jay Blades’ Home Fix and Jay and Dom’s Home Fix, and in 2022 he fronted a documentary about learning to read at the age of 51.
He was honoured with an MBE in 2021.
Mr Blades stepped back from presenting The Repair Shop last year.
Jay Slater’s mum Debbie Duncan asked for her son’s inquest to be resumed after a number of witnesses did not attend the last hearing in May
Jay Slater’s death was accidental after falling from a height, a coroner has concluded.
The 19-year-old of Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, went missing in Tenerife on 17 June 2024, a huge search was launched, and his body was found in a ravine near the village of Masca on 15 July.
He had told his friends he was “in the middle of the mountains” and in need of a drink, as he attempted a 14-hour walk home the morning after taking drugs and alcohol on a night out, Preston Coroner’s Court was told on Thursday.
The conclusion is that “Jay Dean Slater died an accidental death” without third-party influence, Dr James Adeley said.
‘Particularly dangerous area’
He had a “wonderful life” and was a “joy to be around”, his mother told the inquest into his death which resumed on Thursday after it was adjourned in May so witnesses could be traced.
Debbie Duncan said: “He loved his family very much and was not afraid to show affection.”
She added her son had a “large circle of friends who have been left devastated” by his death.
“He was very loved and our hearts are broken,” Ms Duncan said.
In his conclusion, Dr Adeley said Mr Slater died on 17 June 2024 in a remote ravine in the Rural de Teno national park.
He fell in a “particularly dangerous area”, resulting in skull fractures and brain trauma, dying instantly.
Dr Adeley said Mr Slater had fallen up to 25m (82ft) and there was a fracture across the base of his skull, and another up the left side.
He added contributing factors to the fall may have been a lack of suitable clothing, sleep and mountain training, as well as potential after effects of drugs he had consumed.
There were also fractures on his pelvis in multiple places.
The impact of the skull was enough to cause non-survivable brain injuries, even if he received immediate medical help and death was likely instant, he said.
The coroner said he hoped it is of “some consolation to the family” that Mr Slater would not have been in pain.
When the coroner delivered his findings, Ms Duncan nodded and his father, Warren Slater, looked straight ahead arms folded, showing no emotion.
Reuters
Jay Slater’s body was found in a ravine near the village of Masca on 15 July after a huge search
The coroner noted that on the night of 16 June 2024 and afterwards, there was “every indication” that Mr Slater’s friends who were accompanying him on the holiday were concerned about him, tried to find him and look after his welfare.
The inquest heard from Lucy Law who travelled to Tenerife with Mr Slater.
She recounted a phone call she received from a friend on the morning of 17 June 2024 when she was told Mr Slater was in the mountains and did not have much phone battery after he had left an Airbnb in Masca, a village miles from his holiday apartment in Los Cristianos.
Ms Law then described a subsequent phone call with Mr Slater – the last known outgoing communication from his phone – in which she asked him where he was and what he was doing.
She said: “He was like ‘I’m in the middle of the mountains’.”
Mr Slater told her there was “literally nothing” around, she added.
She added she was panicking because his battery was low, and asked him to go back to where he came from.
Bradley Geoghegan, on holiday with Mr Slater said his friend had taken ecstasy pills, and possibly ketamine, along with cocaine and alcohol, on the night out before he disappeared.
The next morning, Mr Geoghegan said he got a video call from Mr Slater, who was walking along a road and was still “under the influence”, the inquest heard.
Mr Geoghegan said: “I said put your maps on to see how far you were. It was like a 14-hour walk or an hour drive. I said, ‘Get a taxi back’, then he just goes, ‘I will ring you back’.”
He told the court he did not feel his friend was fearful. “I think he probably got there and thought, ‘Why am I here?’, sobered up and decided to come back,” he said.
Jay Slater’s mum Debbie Duncan asked for her son’s inquest to be resumed after a number of witnesses did not attend the last hearing in May
One of the last people to speak to Jay Slater said the 19-year-old did not seem threatened as he made his way home from an Airbnb he had gone to with two men he had met in a nightclub in Tenerife, an inquest has heard.
Mr Slater, of Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, went missing on the Spanish island on 17 June 2024, shortly after speaking to his friend Bradley Geoghegan on the phone.
Asked by coroner Dr James Adeley if Mr Slater “seemed fearful or under duress”, Mr Geoghehan said: “No,” adding he had “probably… sobered up and decided to come back”.
A huge search was launched, and his body was found in a ravine near the village of Masca on 15 July.
The inquest heard he had taken drugs and alcohol on a night out and had a 14-hour walk home.
Mr Geoghegan, who had gone on holiday with Mr Slater, said his friend had taken ecstasy pills, and possibly ketamine, along with cocaine and alcohol, on the night out before he disappeared.
Family handout
Jay Slater was found dead at the bottom of a Tenerife ravine last summer
The court heard Mr Slater had been forced to leave a nightclub because he was so drunk and instead of going back to the apartment he shared with Mr Geoghegan, he went to an Airbnb, miles away, with two men they had met on the holiday.
The next morning Mr Geoghegan said he got a video call from Mr Slater, who was walking along a road and was still “under the influence”, the inquest heard.
Mr Geoghegan said: “I said put your maps on to see how far you were. It was like a 14-hour walk or an hour drive.
“I said, ‘Get a taxi back’, then he just goes, ‘I will ring you back’.”
The witness said he did not think his friend had any money on him, and taxis in Tenerife insisted on payment up front before carrying a fare.
Coroner Dr James Adeley asked the witness: “Did you get the impression he was in any way threatened or fearful, or under duress in a difficult situation?”
Mr Geoghegan replied: “No. I think he probably got there and thought, ‘Why am I here?’, sobered up and decided to come back.”
‘Last phone call’
The inquest also heard from Lucy Law who travelled to Tenerife with Mr Slater.
She recounted a phone call she received from a friend on the morning of 17 June 2024.
She said she was told Mr Slater was in the mountains and did not have much phone battery left.
Ms Law then described a subsequent phone call with Mr Slater – the last known outgoing communication from his phone – in which she asked him where he was and what he was doing.
“He was like ‘I’m in the middle of the mountains’.”
She said Mr Slater told her there was “literally nothing” around.
She added she was panicking because his battery was low, and asked him to go back to where he came from.
Reuters
Jay Slater’s body was found in a ravine near the village of Masca on 15 July after a huge search
Mr Slater, had been to the NRG music festival with friends at the Papagayo nightclub in the resort of Playa de las Americas, on 16 June last year.
Mr Slater vanished the morning after going to the Airbnb and was reported missing to Spanish police on 18 June.
Evidence heard during the inquest suggested he had left the holiday let, and after failing to get a bus or taxi, attempted to walk back to his own apartment and had fallen from a height into a ravine.
A huge search was launched before his body was found by a mountain rescue team almost a month later.
‘No evidence of assault’
Mr Slater’s mother, Debbie Duncan, had asked for the inquest into the death to be resumed on Thursday after a number of witnesses did not attend the last hearing in May.
Dr Adeley agreed to adjourn the inquest to trace the witnesses, those who had been with him in the hours before he vanished.
The hearing in May heard from a number of witnesses, including toxicology expert Dr Stephanie Martin.
The court heard analysis showed traces of drugs, including cocaine, ketamine and ecstasy, along with alcohol, were found in Mr Slater’s body.
Home Office pathologist Dr Richard Shepherd said his post-mortem examination gave the cause of death as head injuries, and Mr Slater’s body showed no evidence of restraint or assault, with the pattern of injuries consistent with a fall from a height.
‘Off his head’
Det Ch Insp Rachel Higson, from Lancashire Constabulary, said police had analysed Mr Slater’s phone data.
On the night out he had received phone messages from friends telling him to go home as he was “off his head”.
Phone location data suggested Mr Slater had travelled to the Airbnb and the next morning and left the property at about 07.45.
Statements from Spanish witnesses said they were approached and asked by Mr Slater about buses or taxis to take him home.
More messages from friends warned him about the “boiling” heat of the day, but activity data on his phone stopped at 08:51, suggesting his phone battery had died.
Reuters
Mr Slater went missing in the early hours of 17 June 2024 and his body was found after a huge search lasting almost a month
The next witness, Ayub Qassim, said he and a friend, Steven Roccas, met Mr Slater and his friends out in Tenerife.
He said he had been in a different venue then later met Mr Slater and Mr Geoghegan getting something to eat after the clubs closed.
He said Mr Slater asked if he could come back to his and Mr Roccas’ apartment.
Mr Qassim, giving evidence via videolink, told the hearing: “I did say, ‘Bro, oh mate, it’s so far away from the strip’.
“There’s nothing happening there other than scenery. I said I would drop him off in the morning. He rolled with us.”
‘Did not steal’
The coroner then asked the witness about messages Mr Slater had sent about a watch possibly being stolen.
The inquest was shown a Snapchat video featuring a short clip of a car dashboard with a caption referring to taking a “12k rolly” and being off to “get 10 quid for it”.
He added: “Jay did not steal no watch. I can say one hundred per cent.”
Asked to explain the social media post by Mr Slater, the witness said: “He could be boasting to his friends. He’s on a buzz, so maybe it could be that. Sometimes people do exaggerate.”
The coroner said: “But so far as you are concerned, none of that is true?”
Mr Qassim said: “No. One hundred per cent. I didn’t see a watch. At this point he’s just firing off messages.”
He said when they got to his Airbnb he gave Mr Slater a blanket and pillow and told him he could sleep on the sofa before going off to his own bed.
Warned him
Mr Qassim said he was woken a short time later by a couple pressing the buzzer because they wanted him to move his car.
When he got out his car Mr Slater came towards him and said he was leaving and to “catch a bus” to go back to his apartment, Mr Qassim told the court.
He said he told Mr Slater there were no buses and warned him against it.
Mr Qassim said he told Mr Slater to wait and he would drive him back later but he replied his friends were waiting for him.
Mr Qassim said he went back to sleep, presuming Mr Slater was waiting at the bus stop.
The coroner asked him if there was any altercation between them to which Mr Qassim replied: “No.”
PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan will step down after nine years in the role when his contract ends in 2026.
Brian Rolapp has been appointed as the tour’s first chief executive and will gradually take over Monahan’s day-to-day responsibilities.
Rolapp has spent more than 20 years with the National Football League (NFL), most recently as chief media and business officer.
“A year ago, I informed our boards that upon completing a decade as commissioner, I would step down from my role at the end of 2026,” Monahan said.
“Since then, we’ve worked together to identify a leader who can build on our momentum and develop a process that ensures a smooth transition.
“We’ve found exactly the right leader in Brian Rolapp, and I’m excited to support him as he transitions from the NFL into his new role leading the PGA Tour.”
Monahan’s last few years as commissioner have been dominated by the ructions in golf caused by the rise of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf circuit.
The 55-year-old was a vocal critic of LIV, but then played a key role in the negotiations that led to an agreement to form a partnership with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), which bankrolls LIV.
The secretive nature of the talks with LIV angered a number of players.
Negotiations aimed at a final agreement between the PGA Tour and LIV are ongoing, and Rolapp is hoping to unify the sport.
“I think the fans have been pretty clear,” Rolapp said. “They want to see the best golfers competing against each other. I agree with that.
“When it comes to the situation with LIV, I think that’s a complex situation that’s probably something I should learn more about before I speak.
“But I will say my focus is on growing the tour, making it better, and really moving on from the position of strength that it has.”
Tiger Woods was part of the PGA Tour CEO search committee which unanimously recommended Rolapp for the role.
“Brian’s appointment is a win for players and fans,” said Woods. “He has a clear respect for the game and our players, and brings a fresh perspective from his experience in the NFL.
“I’m excited about what’s ahead, and confident that with Brian’s leadership we’ll continue to grow the tour in ways that benefit everyone who loves this sport.”
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.
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 the19-year-old Britback to anAirbnbin 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
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.
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The Airbnb Jay went to before he vanishedCredit: Steve Reigate
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Jay’s mum Debbie Duncan pictured outside Preston Coroner’s CourtCredit: STEVE ALLEN
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Dad Warren Slater and brother outside the hearingCredit: STEVE ALLEN
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.
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.
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Jay with friend Lucy Law, who he was on holiday withCredit: Instagram
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A post-mortem examination concluded he died of traumatic head injuriesCredit: Ian Whittaker
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Jay’s devastated mum Debbie beside his graveCredit: Louis Wood
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
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.
