JAYA Slater’s mum said the teenager was “guilty by association” for the assault for which he was convicted.
Critics of Jay and his family have again circulated stories online about the 19-year-old’s involvement in the 2021 attack on the 17-year-old.
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Jay Slater pictured in his school uniform Credit: Louis Wood
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Jay shines next to older brother Zak
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Debbie described Jay, pictured right with pal Bradley Hargreaves, left, as ‘popular’
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15.08.24 – Jay Slater’s mother Debbie Duncan and brother Zac. .Jay died in Tenerife earlier this year.Credit: Louis Wood
Victim Tom Hilton was left with a head wound after being attacked by a group of youths with weapons including a golf club and an ax in Rishton, Lancs.
Tom spoke out after Jay went missing on June 17 – urging trolls to leave his family alone and let them focus on the search.
Jay’s mum Debbie Duncan said Jay did not injure Tom but was convicted of violent disorder after witnessing the attack.
Debbie, 56, told The Sun: “They used to go into the woods and to this old paper mill five minutes away.
“This night there was an incident that probably involved several hundred people.
“The boy, who was older, was attacked, as he said, by 20 children.
“They were looking for witnesses, and I told Jay, I think he should go and give a statement.
“So I personally took him to Blackburn, Greenbank Police Station.
“And he gave his version of events, according to which Tom was already on the ground when he saw it and he was in the back.
“I didn’t think anything of it, but the following April a letter arrived saying Jay had been charged with a violent disorder.
Jay Slater’s devastated mum Debbie denies nasty rumors he stole £12k watch and fell foul of Tenerife drug cartel
“Jay attended the trial and Tom stood up in court and said he didn’t remember much.
“But Jay was kind of found guilty by association and I don’t think he struck a blow or harmed Tom.
“I would just say that a bunch of kids get into trouble when they’re younger.
“There are grown men – fathers, grandfathers, who get convicted of violent disorder because of a fight that breaks out, say, outside a football stadium most weekends.
“But because Jay is in the spotlight, they just want to say all the bad things they can say about him.
“But they don’t know Jay and they bring up all the stuff they don’t even know about.
“They don’t know his origin and his upbringing in a loving family.
“He was a wonderful boy and not a bad person.
“I had Snapchat so I could communicate with him.
“He had a French bulldog, Buster, and he would send me snaps when he was out with the dog.”
They do not know his origin and his upbringing in a family full of love. He was a wonderful boy and not a bad person
Debbie Duncan
After Jay went missing — and even since his body was found 29 days later on July 15 — trolls have relentlessly attacked his grieving family.
Their suffering was aggravated by sick spirits who made malicious claims on social networks.
Among the wild allegations were that Jay had stolen a £12,000 watch from a gangster on the fateful night, or that he had fallen out with a drug cartel.
But Debbie insisted the claims were nothing more than callous rumours.
In her first interview since Jay’s death, Debbie told The Sun…
She said: “He would never be involved in something like that.
“He was only in Tenerife for three days – and he was at a festival with friends who had wristbands, insurance and an itinerary.
“I have no idea where those drug stories came from, and the one about him stealing the watch is nonsense.”
Debbie has strongly condemned trolls who have been persecuting her family and spreading nasty comments and baseless claims on platforms such as TikTok and Facebook.
She added: “The people who say things about him didn’t know Jay and they don’t know us.
“He didn’t come here to defend himself against all these horrible stories that were going around the world about him.”
Hundreds of mourners attended the funeral of Jay, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancs at Accrington Crematorium on Saturday, August 10.
Funeral director Sarah Barton, who officiated at the service, told the community how “Jay touched so many people’s lives”.
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