British teenager Jay Slater, who went missing in Tenerife last summer before his body was found in a ravine, took drugs and alcohol on a night out and walked 14 hours home, an inquest into his death has heard.
Bradley Geoghegan, who went on holiday with Mr Slater, said the 19-year-old had taken ecstasy tablets and possibly ketamine, as well as cocaine and alcohol the night before he disappeared.
Mr Slater, who had previously been forced to leave a nightclub because he was too drunk, instead of returning to the flat he shared with Mr Geoghegan, went to an Airbnb rental a few miles away to stay with two men they had met on holiday.
The following morning, Mr Geoghegan said he received a video call from Mr Slater, who was walking along the road and still “under the influence of drugs”, Preston Coroner's Court in England heard.
Mr Geoghegan said: “I told you to turn on maps to see how far you were. It was about 14 hours on foot or an hour by car. I said, 'Get a taxi back' and he just said, 'I'll call you back.'
The witness said he believed his friend had no money on him and taxi drivers in Tenerife insist on paying the fare in advance before taking him.
Coroner Dr James Adeley asked the witness: “Did you have the impression that he was in any way threatened, fearful or under pressure in a difficult situation?”
Mr Geoghegan replied: “No. I think he probably went there and thought, 'Why am I here?' and sobered up and decided to come back.”
Mr Slater, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, was on holiday on the Spanish island and attended the NRG music festival at Papagayo nightclub in Playa de las Americas with friends on June 16 last year.
Mr Slater disappeared the morning after logging onto the Airbnb website and was reported missing on June 18.
Evidence obtained during the investigation indicates that he left his rented accommodation and, unable to catch a bus or taxi, attempted to walk to his apartment and fell from a height into a ravine.
A massive search was launched before his body was discovered in a rugged area by a mountain rescue team from the Spanish Civil Guard near the village of Masca on July 15.
Mr Slater's mother, Debbie Duncan, asked on Thursday for the inquest into the death to be reopened after a number of witnesses failed to give evidence at the last hearing in May.
She said Mr Slater's family still had questions about their loved one's death that needed answers.
Dr Adeli agreed to adjourn the investigation until Thursday to find witnesses who were with him in the hours before he disappeared.
A number of witnesses testified at the hearing in May, including toxicology expert Dr. Stephanie Martin.
Tests carried out by the court showed Mr Slater had traces of drugs including cocaine, ketamine and ecstasy, as well as alcohol, in his system.
Pathologist Dr Richard Shepherd said a post-mortem examination found the cause of death to be head injuries and that Mr Slater's body showed no signs of restraint or assault and the nature of the injuries was consistent with a fall from a height.
Lancashire Police Chief Inspector Rachel Higson said police had analysed Mr Slater's phone records.
That night he received phone messages from friends asking him to go home because he was “not himself.”
Location data from the phone showed Mr Slater went to the Airbnb rental and left the following morning at around 7.45am.
According to Spanish witnesses, Mr Slater approached them and asked about buses or taxis to take him home.
Friends continued to warn him about the “scalding” heat that afternoon, but activity data on his phone stopped at 8:51 a.m., indicating that the phone's battery was dead.
Help with the search was provided by Marieke Krans from the Dutch rescue charity Signi Zoekhonden, which uses dogs.
She said the area where the body was found was about a three-and-a-half-hour walk from the Airbnb and the climb there was “very steep and very dangerous” and it would have been “easy” to lose your balance.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie