Two teenagers have been found guilty of murdering a 16-year-old boy on a beach last year.
Jay Stewart, 18, and a 15-year-old boy who cannot be named for legal reasons, acted together with 18-year-old Cole Turley to assault Kayden Moy at Irvine beach, North Ayrshire, on May 17.
Turley previously pleaded guilty to Kayden’s murder.
Following an initial confrontation at the beach, together with Turley, Stewart and the 15-year-old pursued Kayden, causing him to fall to the ground, and he was repeatedly stabbed on the body with a knife.
The 16-year-old was so badly injured in the attack that he later died.
All three had been members of the Murray Boys group, while Kayden and others were part of the Himshie group in East Kilbride.
Following a trial of more than two weeks at the High Court in Glasgow, a jury found both teenagers guilty of Kayden’s murder on the second day of deliberations.
There were shouts of “yes” from public benches in the courtroom as the verdicts were delivered on Friday.
Lord Scott told the teenagers: “You have both been found guilty of murder. Given your age I want to get more information about your background and Mr Stewart you have two previous convictions.”
Stewart and the 15-year-old will be sentenced on July 21 pending reports, along with Turley, Lord Scott said.
During the trial, the jury heard that shortly before the attack, Stewart, the 15-year-old and Turley had been at the top of a sand dune throwing rocks at people on the beach.
Kayden’s girlfriend, Keryn Knox, who had been with him at the beach, said they had been getting ready to leave at about 6pm when the rocks started to be thrown, and Kayden had gone up to confront them.
Ms Knox told the court: “I went up with him to try and stop him. At that point he had run up the hill and he was just shouting stuff back.
“Then Cole ran in from the side and Kayden has seen a blade and when he tried to run he slipped, and when he tried to get back up Cole has stabbed him in his left lower side twice.”
Describing Kayden’s condition as he lay on the beach after the stabbing, she said: “His body turned completely white and his limbs were blue and people were crowding round him, trying to put his T-shirt over the wound.”
We have an empty chair at family gatherings, an empty bedroom in our home, and an emptiness in our hearts that can never be filled
Another witness said he had gone with Kayden to confront the teenagers, and that as they reached the top of the dune, Turley brought out a knife and Stewart an extendable baton.
The witness said: “Then out of nowhere Cole (Turley) just started running at us. I ran to the right, so did Kayden, I jumped over a grass ledge, Kayden slipped and Cole leaped over and jumped on him.
“He had a knife and it hit. I saw one stab.”
The witness described how he ran back to help Kayden who was standing up, and he and another friend supported him as they walked back down to the beach shouting to people to phone for an ambulance.
He said: “I saw blood going down Kayden’s leg and him going really white.”
Stewart and the 15-year-old had denied the murder charge and had lodged special defences of incrimination.
Lawyers for both teenagers argued their clients had played no part in Kayden’s death, and that Turley was solely responsible for it.
Donald Findlay KC, representing Stewart, told the jury his client was “not within yards of Kayden Moy when Kayden Moy was stabbed”, and that Turley had changed the “character” of the confrontation when he produced a knife.
David Duguid KC, representing the 15-year-old, suggested the evidence showed his client had believed the confrontation was just going to be a “fist fight”, and that he could not have anticipated Kayden was going to get stabbed.
However, these arguments were rejected by the jury, who found both guilty of Kayden’s murder.
After Stewart and the 15-year-old were convicted, Turley was brought into the courtroom for his sentencing date to be confirmed as July 21.
All three were remanded in custody
Following the verdict, Kayden’s parents, Paul and Ashley, described him as “an amazing, caring boy who lit up every room he walked into”.
“He brought happiness to everyone around him,” they said.
“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.
“We have an empty chair at family gatherings, an empty bedroom in our home, and an emptiness in our hearts that can never be filled.”
They added: “He was loved beyond measure and will forever be missed.”
Detective Chief Inspector Campbell Jackson, senior investigating officer, said: “Today’s outcome will never compensate for Kayden’s death; 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.”
Mr Jackson added: “Kayden was robbed of his future that day and his family and friends were robbed of a future with him.
“He should have made it home with memories that day of a day at the beach, but the actions of others means that Kayden will never grow up into adulthood.”