Two teenagers guilty of stabbing 16-year-old boy to death on Scottish beach

Ken Hinds says police have 'got a lot of work to do' in educating young people on knife crime

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GB NEWS

Ed Griffiths

By Ed Griffiths


Published: 05/06/2026

- 18:41

Cole Turley, who was also present on the night of the killing, previously pleaded guilty to the murder

Two teenagers have been found guilty of stabbing a 16-year-old boy to death on a Scottish beach.

Jay Stewart, 18, and another boy, 15, who cannot be named for legal reasons, murdered Kayden Moy, 16, at Irvine Beach in North Ayrshire on May 17, 2025.


The teenagers appeared at the High Court in Glasgow, where they were found guilty of murder.

The jury took two days of deliberations to come to a verdict.

Cole Turley, 18, who was also present on the night of the killing, previously pleaded guilty to the murder.

The three boys confronted Mr Moy at the beach, where the victim fell to the ground.

He was then repeatedly stabbed with a knife.

The teen later died from the wounds sustained in the attack.

Cole Turley (left) and Jay Stewart

Cole Turley (Left) and Jay Stewart (Right) were two of the three attackers

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POLICE SCOTLAND

Before the deliberations, the Lord Justice Scott told jurors it was not in dispute Turley killed Mr Moy or Stewart and the 15-year-old were present on the beach that day.

The "crucial issue" surrounded whether the pair on trial had acted together with Turley when he carried out the murder.

All charges against Stewart and the 15-year-old, apart from the murder charge, were withdrawn by prosecutors earlier.

Stewart and the 15-year-old boy denied the charge.

\u200bKayden Moy

Kayden Moy was murdered on Irvine beach last year

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POLICE SCOTLAND

In a statement, his parents Paul and Ashley, said: "Kayden was an amazing, caring boy who lit up every room he walked into.

"He brought happiness to everyone around him. Every morning we wake up and are faced again with the reality that he is gone.

"We will never hear his laugh again, never see his smile, never watch him achieve the goals he worked so hard for.

"He was loved beyond measure and will forever be missed."

Turley, the 15-year-old and Stewart at the scene

Footage showed Cole Turley, the 15-year-old and Jay Stewart at the scene

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COPFS

Detective Chief Inspector Campbell Jackson, the senior investigating officer in the case, said the verdict would never be able to compensate for the death.

He added: "It won't ease the heartache his family and friends must feel every single day.

"My thoughts very much remain with Kayden's parents, brothers and his family and friends for their devastating loss. However, I do hope that they find some comfort in seeing justice being done. Kayden's death highlights the devastating impact of knife crime, not only on individuals, but for families and our wider communities."

They will be sentenced on July 21.