Teenager witnessed best friend 'stabbed to death' during beach gang confrontation, court hears

Published: 19:39, 20 May 2026 | Updated: 19:44, 20 May 2026 A teenager told a murder trial how he witnessed his 16-year-old ‘best friend’ being stabbed to death on a beach. The 17-year-old gave recorded evidence to police in the trial of Jay Stewart, 18, and a 15-year-old who are accused of killing Kayden Moy on May 17 2025. He said that the attack happened as part of gang violence between teenagers who had travelled to Irvine beach in Ayrshire from East Kilbride, Lanarkshire. The boy said he and Mr Moy had gone to confront Stewart, Turley and the other teenager when a fight broke out, resulting in the fatal stabbing. The murder charge alleges that Stewart and the 15-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, shoved Mr Moy to the ground and repeatedly stabbed him whilst while acting with Cole Turley, 18, It is alleged that Stewart and the other teenager held a grudge against him. Turley had pleaded guilty before trial to the murder charge. The two on trial have lodged a special defence of incrimination against him. Giving recorded evidence to police officers, the teenager said that his group were sat on sand dunes at the beach when he and another boy were involved in a ‘revenge attack’ on another teenager on behalf of the ‘Himshie gang’. Kayden Moy was 16 when he died at Irvine beach in Ayrshire Later that day, the teenager claimed rocks ‘the size of hands’ were thrown at his group from above but did not make contact. When asked by detective constable Scott Steven who threw the rocks, the teenager said Stewart, Turley and the 15-year old were responsible. The teenager stated that he knew the trio who were part of ‘The Murray Boys’ gang in East Kilbride who they had previously been friends with. The witness told jurors that he, Mr Moy and another boy went up the sand dune to ‘confront’ Stewart, Turley and the 15-year-old. It was stated that the groups were 10 feet from each other when Turley brought out a knife and Stewart revealed a cosh. The teenager claimed that they told the pair to get rid of their weapons and offered to ‘box’ them. The boy said: ‘I ran to the right of [Turley] as has Kayden. He ran behind me. ‘I jumped over the grass ledge and Kayden kind of slipped and Cole Turley jumped on him.’ The boy stated that he saw Mr Moy being stabbed once but was aware he was struck three times. It was claimed that the 15-year-old ‘did not hit anyone’ but had shouted threats and threw the rocks. When asked what the trio were there for, the teenager said: ‘Probably, they came for us. One hundred percent. Apparently they were at Troon or Ayr and came to Irvine. They came and found us. ‘It was planned. How would they know what sand dune we were on. There were so many people around.’ The boy recalled he and the other boy taking Mr Moy down to the beach before they were surrounded by others. He said: ‘I remember blood going down Kayden’s leg and Kayden going really white and his eyes started to close.’ It was stated that a woman claiming to be a nurse put pressure on the wound before medics arrived after 15 to 20 minutes. The boy said he told a police officer at the scene: ‘My best friend was stabbed off Cole Turley.’ He agreed with Stewart’s defence counsel Donald Findlay KC, when he asked if the scene was ‘total chaos’ The pair face a separate charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice, while acting with Turley, between May 17 and 21 last year. It is claimed that they attempted to remove blood from the knife, fled Irvine beach and hid in bushes. The pair are said to have requested a third party to book a taxi for them to leave the area. It is stated they travelled to an address in East Kilbride and repeatedly covered their faces with clothing to conceal their identities from cameras. The pair are claimed to have changed their clothing, washed their bodies and hands of blood and secreted knives in a divan bed frame and a freezer. Irvine beach was cordoned off after Kayden's death last year  It is further alleged that they requested someone burn their discarded bloodstained clothing and phone. Prosecutors say the two youngsters fled from the East Kilbride property through a window to avoid detection by police officers. It is claimed that the pair used cash to pay for goods to avoid debit cards being linked to them. The charge sheet says they handed police the clothing they were wearing and stated it was worn at the time of the alleged murder. The younger of the pair is stated to have stayed at a Holiday Inn in East Kilbride. The trial continues before Judge Lord Scott. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.