Jury urged to acquit teens accused of Kayden Moy beach murder

A jury has been urged to acquit two teenagers on trial for the murder of a 16-year-old boy on Irvine Beach.

Jay Stewart, 18, and a 15-year-old, who can't be named for legal reasons, are accused of fatally stabbing Kayden Moy on 17 May 2025.

Cole Turley, 18, pleaded guilty to the murder before the trial started at the High Court in Glasgow.

Stewart's KC Donald Findlay said social media coverage may have influenced the evidence heard, while lawyers for both accused said witness Fraser Wallace had lied in court.

Both teenagers lodged a special defence of incrimination against Turley before the trial began.

The charge says Stewart and the 15-year-old, while acting with Turley, pursued Moy and caused him to fall to the ground before they repeatedly stabbed him on the body.

It is alleged that Stewart and the other teenager had previous ill-will and malice towards the victim, due to them being in different gangs.

Findlay said his client was not "a nice young man" but that did not mean he was guilty of murder.

The advocate said Cole Turley had accepted responsibility for the murder.

And he said it was known "beyond a reasonable doubt" that Jay Stewart "didn't place a finger on Kayden Moy on the day he died".

Findlay added that Stewart was not within yards of Moy when he was stabbed, and there was "not a scrap of evidence" his client was physically involved in the death.

The advocate said: "Not for a moment should you think that Jay Stewart killed Kayden Moy or caused the injury."

The lawyer also stated that Turley acted in a "crazy and evil" way in committing the murder.

Jurors previously heard Stewart, the 15-year-old and Turley were part of the Murray Boys gang from East Kilbride in South Lanarkshire.

Moy and his friends were stated to be from the rival Himshie group.

Findlay addressed the gang background but said being in a gang should not mean facing the consequences for a murder.

He told the jury that the Crown relied on Fraser Wallace - who was visited by the trio after the fatal stabbing - for their case but added the witness had lied "more than once".

Findlay said the lies were "cold, calculated and despicable" and the jury should not let him "get away with it."

He also claimed another witness wrongly told jurors Stewart was seen with a knife that day. The witness later admitted to reading this on social media.

Jurors previously heard Turley and the 15-year-old put up their hoods on arrival to Irvine by train.

But Findlay said Stewart did not do this as he had nothing to hide.

Findlay said his client was seen with an extendable baton at the beach because he was trying to look scary

And he added that did not mean he was looking to stab anyone.

The advocate told the jury his client did not know the extent of Moy's stabbing and that he "celebrated" it.

He added: "The fact is he was behaving like an idiot afterwards...he was waving his baton around trying to look scary but I am not suggesting he is a nice young man or looking for approval or anything like that.

"He was not involved in the death of Kayden Moy."

Ian Duguid KC, defending the 15-year-old, also made his closing speech to the jury.

He told jurors his client told police in an interview when he was being treated as a suspect that he "did not know" the other teenagers had weapons on them.

The advocate said the boy told a rival gang member at the beach that he wanted to fist-fight them but did not mention weapons.

Duguid also told jurors another witness stated the 15-year-old was "in shock" after the fatal stabbing took place.

Jurors had previously been told by Fraser Wallace that the boy had said to him that he handed the murder weapon to Turley.

Duguid claimed that Wallace had lied to the jury, saying CCTV showed the knife was in Cole Turley's hands, while other witnesses mentioned Turley "whipping out" the knife.

The advocate suggested cuddling and handshaking among the group after the stabbing was being sought by Turley.

Duguid said: "You can accept that he was a 14-year-old with two 17-year-olds.

"If it was beyond what was planned or reasonably anticipated, you must acquit him."

The trial, before Lord Scott, continues.