Haunting final photo of Jay Slater hours before he died that's never been seen

A new haunting photo of teenager Jay Slater with a huge smile on his face taken just hours before he died has been revealed for the first time.

The teenager was photographed sitting in the back seat of a car as he was driven to an AirBnB villa an hour away from Playa de las Americas in Tenerife, where he had been partying with friends.

What is believed to be one of the final pictures of Jay was shown to Preston Coroner's Court at his inquest. It shows him smiling widely in the backseat of the car. Steven Roccas was asleep in the passenger seat in front of him.

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Mr Roccas was called up to give evidence at the inquest, but efforts to contact him were unsuccessful. The driver of the car, convicted drug dealer Ayub Qassim, attended the inquest via video link.

Just hours later after waking at the villa in the early hours Jay attempted to walk home and fell down a ravine. Jay was found 29 days after he went missing by two members of the Spanish mountain rescue group in the Juan Lopez ravine.

He was found eight metres above the dry river bed. His bag was found 20 metres away with his phone and passport. He is believed to have fallen 20 to 30 metres,

Coroner Dr James Adeley says Jay’s body was formally identified using his finger and palm prints. A post mortem found his body had undergone “extensive mummification” due to him being out in the hot sun for several weeks. An inquest into his death today revealed his death from head injuries was an accident.

His mum Debbie Duncan said in her heartbreaking statement before the verdict was read out this morning that her son's death had “touch the hearts of the nation”.

Ms Duncan described how 19-year-old Jay had "almost qualified" as a bricklayer and that he had "a wonderful life". She said Jay "loved going abroad every year and was always the centre of attention".

Jay was "always a popular boy and had many, many friends", his mum said. He also "loved his family very much".

"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.”