Drug dealer who spent final hours with Jay Slater breaks silence on their last meeting
9 December 2024, 12:44 | Updated: 9 December 2024, 13:00
The convicted drug dealer who saw Jay Slater the night before his disappearance has spoken for the first time since the British teen’s body was discovered.
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Jay Slater spent his final night alive at an Airbnb with Ayub Qassim, 31, in Masca, Tenerife.
Qassim, who has always denied any involvement in Jay Slater’s death, has now opened up about meeting the teen the day before he vanished.
The 19-year-old apprentice bricklayer, from Oswaldtwistle, vanished on June 17, 2024 on a three-day holiday after attending a music festival with friends on the island of Tenerife.
His body was discovered by a search party following a month-long search on July 15, mere metres from his last known location.
Speaking on The Central Club podcast, Qassim said he takes no blame for Jay’s death, as the teen left his Airbnb in “one piece” on the night of June 16.
While the 31-year-old from East London admitted feeling “survivor’s guilt” upon hearing Jay had vanished, he also described it as a “told you so moment.”
When in informed of Jay’s disappearance, Qassim said he told a friend: "My reaction was mate, I f***ing told him I'd give him a lift in a couple hours, if only he waited.
“That's your lot's problem. I'm going to bed. Your mate is sweet, he come here in one piece, he left in one piece, I did my part."
The 31-year-old added: "Sorry I couldn't be your foreign suspect, I apologise, it's not me for this whole situation."
Qassim allegedly drove the late British teen back to the Airbnb after they both attended the NRG festival in Papagayo, Playa de las Americas.
A third man reportedly joined them, but he has not been identified.
According to the convicted drug dealer, Jay acted strangely while at the hotel.
He said: "I could tell he didn't want to be there."
While at the Airbnb, Slater messaged a friend: “Are these lads sweet?”
He told the podcast: "My pal did says he messaged to say 'Is your pal alright upstairs' and my guy said 'Come off it, he is sweet'.
"That was about 10-20 minutes before he left. I do believe, there was a lot of texting back and forth."
"He was obviously going through something in his head," he added.
Despite this, Qassim said he had no intention of forcing Slater to stay at the apartment.
"When someone is telling you that they just want to go, you don't know what's going on in your head. They just want to go,” he said.
"I'm not going to be like 'you're not going, you're staying'. I'm just thinking you're safe sat on the bus stop."
The search for Jay made headlines worldwide after sleuths online tried to piece the Lancashire teen's last moments together.
After 29 days, Jay's body was found on July 15 deep in a ravine close to where his phone last pinged a phone tower.
