Teenagers jailed for murdering 16-year-old in beach knife attack

Three teenagers have been jailed for murdering a 16-year-old boy during a confrontation between rival groups on a beach in North Ayrshire last year.

They were convicted of stabbing Kayden Moy on Irvine Beach on 17 May 2025.

Cole Turley, 18, who had pleaded guilty to the murder, and Jay Stewart, 19 were jailed for a minimum of 16 years.

A third teenager - a 15-year-old who cannot be named for legal reasons - will be detained for a minimum of 14 years.

Speaking outside the High Court in Glasgow, Moy's Dad said his family had been given a life sentence.

Paul Moy said: "While today's outcome brings a measure of justice, it does not bring peace, it does not bring our son back.

"Kayden was more than a name in the courtroom or a headline in the news, he was our son, he was loved beyond words and had his whole life ahead of him.

"We hope today's sentence sends a clear message that violence has a devastating and irreversible consequences.

"One moment of violence has destroyed so many lives and no family should ever have to endure the pain that we now live with every day."

Passing sentence, Judge Lord Scott said Kayden Moy's death was "pointless and unnecessary".

He said the attackers "travelled to Irvine, armed, intent on a reprisal for some slight".

He added: "It could have been anyone but Kayden slipped and fell."

The court heard that Stewart and the 15-year-old - while acting with Turley - chased Moy and repeatedly stabbed him with a lock knife after he fell to the ground.

The three were seen on CCTV hugging and shaking hands minutes after the attack.

They also went on to create a rap song mocking Moy who at the time was fighting for his life in hospital, and Turley acted out the murder on the couch of a friend whose flat was used as a hide-out.

Stewart and the 15-year-old had both denied murder but were found guilty last month after a trial at the High Court in Glasgow.

Prosecutor Liam Ewing KC said the group's apparent congratulations to each other after the stabbing were "the actions of those who have accomplished what they came to do".

The trial heard the attackers were members of the Murray Boys gang from East Kilbride, while Moy was a member of the rival Himshie group.

The trio had travelled to Irvine beach after a fight between the groups earlier that day.

Stewart, who was also armed with an extendable baton, had previously made threats towards Moy on social media.

The boys threw rocks at Moy and his friends - which prosecutors said was intended to draw them into a fight.

After the stabbing, which led to scenes of chaos on the beach, they took a taxi back to East Kilbride.

They entered the home of 19-year-old Fraser Wallace, who was friendly with Turley.

Wallace gave evidence during the trial, saying he was told by the 15-year-old that he had passed the murder weapon to Turley before the stabbing.