Mystery man who was one of the last people to see Jay Slater alive breaks silence
24 July 2024, 17:28 | Updated: 24 July 2024, 18:26
The mystery man who was one of the last people to see Jay Slater alive has broken his silence about the case in a YouTube live broadcast.
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Ayub Qassim, who was with Jay just before he disappeared, told viewers last night: "If ’m guilty then arrest me then, what are you on about? When you’re telling the truth you don’t slip up."
The 31-year-old Brit answered questions and spoke to conspiracy theories about 19-year-old Jay Slater's disappearance on June 17 in the livestream.
Asked whether he took Jay back to his AirBnB, Qassim said: "Took him home? No one took no-one bro. He invited himself. Think bro, use your head."
He went on: "How am I feeling after this? It’s mental mate, it’s actually mad. Do you know what I'm saying, it’s actually mental man."
Qassim was also asked whether he punched Jay, to which he said: "No, of course not. Mate, what do you reckon happened to him? He had a tragic accident, you know what it’s like. Taking it out that way.
"The kid didn’t have his funeral, have a bit of respect."
The Lancashire teen vanished in Tenerife after setting off back to his accommodation from the NRG music festival which he had attended with two friends.
Last week, the Spanish Civil Guard located his body close to where he disappeared in the the Rural de Teno Park.
Qassim and his friend Rocky were detained shortly after Slater's disappearance but were released after being deemed "irrelevant" by police.
AirBnb Guys Ayub & Rocky Discuss Jay Slater LIVE (Enhanced Audio)
Qassim also responded to claims Slater was scared when he left their apartment, saying: "I don’t know why he was scared and he ain't here to answer that question.
"I don’t want to say, people could be going through something in their own heads, who knows, do you know what i’m saying?
"Yeah I offered him a lift back, but obviously when I wake up, cos you’ve got to remember we came back at 6.30, 6.40 in the morning like.
"And I only slept for an hour before I had to move my car.
"Bro I'm not driving another half an hour and all of this one hour away, bro, I was in a Cupra estate, zooming the road like, it’s not an hour away, it’s half an hour."
The 31-year-old went on to repeat claims that Jay asked to go with him and Rocky.
"He looked at me and said ‘bro I ain't got the keys to my place, them lot are gone back, left and that, can I roll with you man?’
"He asked me bro I didn’t invite no-one. Bro I don’t know why he was scared that’s in his own head. I can tell you how i’m feeling and what I’m going through."
Read more: Body found in hunt for Jay Slater was 'very deteriorated' as Tenerife officials reveal key details
Jay Slater's remains were found in the village of Masca, not far from the £40-a-night two-bedroom Airbnb where he was staying when he vanished - a remote cottage called Case Abuela Tina, meaning Grandma Tina's house.
A Civil Guard spokesman stated that Jay's injuries included several broken bones, stating: "The result of the preliminary autopsy points to the cause of death being a fall or plunge from height due to the broken bones he suffered."
Following the formal identification of his body, his mum Debbie Duncan released the following statement: "I just can't believe it – we're here with the embassy staff waiting for an update and now it's come – the worst news.
"I just can't believe this could happen to my beautiful boy. Our hearts are broken."
The teenager's family flew out to help with the search for him and are now making plans for his repatriation and funeral.
The head of British overseas missing persons charity LBT Global, Matt Searle, has been supporting them since the disappearance.
He previously said that they were expected to travel back to the UK on the same plane as his body.
