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Jay Slater’s mother has recalled the devastating moment she was told through a translator at a Spanish police station that the remains of her missing son had been found.
Debbie Duncan said she “just screamed” when they were told that the body found in a ravine in the Rural de Teno park was believed to be that of the 19-year-old.
“I wanted to see him but it wasn’t possible,” she told The Sun. “I was just in a state. They hadn’t formally identified him, then. “They just said human remains, and we believe it could be Jay. They said they had his bag, his trainers, his shorts, T-shirt.
“I had to see them to be 100 per cent sure it was him – because I couldn’t process it and was in denial,” she added.
It comes as she dismissed claims that her son had stolen a watch or become embroiled in a drug feud in the hours before he disappeared in Tenerife.
Ms Duncan said that relentless trolling online that begun shortly after she arrived on the Spanish island to help rescue teams search for the teenager, had “destroyed her”.
Among the wild accusations was that Mr Slater had fallen foul of a drug cartel or had escaped to Morocco, with Ms Duncan saying: “He would never have been involved in anything like that.
“He had only been in Tenerife three days – and was at a festival with friends which had wristbands, security and an itinerary.
“I’ve no idea where these drug stories have come from and the stuff about him stealing a watch is nonsense.”
The apprentice bricklayer had travelled to the tourist hotspot Playa de Las Americas to attend the NRG music festival, and had vanished on 17 June after travelling to the remote Rural de Teno national park during the early hours of the morning.
After meeting two older men at the festival, he had accompanied them to their AirBnb, which was nearly an hour away from his hotel. He was last heard from at 8.50am when he phoned his friend Lucy Law to say that he had embarked on a 11-hour walk back, was lost and dehydrated and had one per cent phone battery.
His remains were found in a ravine in the mountainous area on 15 July after a four-week search.
After being informed of Mr Slater’s disappearance, both of his parents and brother Zak travelled to Tenerife but were immediately targeted by trolls on TikTok and Facebook.
She added: “The people saying stuff about him didn’t know Jay and they don’t know us. He hasn’t been here to defend himself against all these horrible stories that were going on around the world about him.”
Among the many online stories to circulate were details of his previous conviction in 2021, with Ms Duncan saying her son was “guilty by association” over an assault on a 17-year-old.
Tom Hilton was left with a head wound after he was attacked by a group of teenagers with an array of weapons, which led to a number of people being charged. Ms Duncan told The Sun that her son did not harm Tom, but was convicted of violent disorder after witnessing the assault.
Up to 500 mourners attended his funeral service, with family and friends packing into the chapel at Accrington Crematorium to pay their respects.
