Kayden Moy: Father pays tribute to his son who was murdered on Irvine Beach in North Ayrshire

The father of murdered teenager Kayden Moy has paid tribute to the son he described as his “best friend” after two teenagers were found guilty of his murder on Friday.

More than a year after the 16-year-old was fatally stabbed at a beach in North Ayrshire, Paul Moy says the reality of losing his son still hits him every morning.

“It’s been horrendous for the last year since Kayden passed – it’s not just the fact of getting up every day, you wake up in the morning and reality kicks in and he’s not there anymore,” Paul told STV News.

“He was a caring, loving young guy. He was obviously my son but he was more like my best friend.”

Day out with friends ends in tragedy

Kayden, from East Kilbride, was one of hundreds of teenagers spending a warm spring day at Irvine Beach on May 17, 2025.

What began as a day out with friends ended in tragedy when violence broke out between rival groups.

Eighteen-year-old Cole Turley had previously admitted murdering Kayden before a trial at the High Court in Glasgow.

On Friday, jurors found Jay Stewart, 18, and a 15-year-old boy guilty of murder while acting with Turley.

Cole Turley, (l) and Jay Stewart, (r) Police Scotland

Following an initial confrontation at the beach, together with Turley, they 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.

For Paul’s family, however, the verdict cannot bring back the teenager who was at the centre of their lives.

In a jumper bearing his son’s name, Paul still visits Kayden’s favourite place – the East Kilbride gym where they trained side-by-side.

“We would go to the gym together all week and he would maybe go out with his pals at the weekend on a Saturday,” he said.

“But he would always choose going to the gym and then at night we would get our dinner and watch stuff together on the telly.”

“He’s just very missed. He would walk into a room and just light it up with his smile. Even if the room was empty, Kayden would make a mark on the room.”

The teenager had hoped one day to open his own painting and decorating company, following in the footsteps of his grandfather.

“He was his grandpa’s boy,” Paul said.

“My dad would do all the painting and decorating, he went on holiday with my dad, he was his favourite. But when it came to the grans, they just saw him as their oldest grandson.

“They loved him just as much and he often went there for something to eat or they would take him out, he was always getting stuff from his grans. He knew how to play the game.”

In a handwritten letter shared with STV News, Kayden’s grandmother described a loss “that will never heal”.

She wrote: “Kayden was my first grandchild and I was super proud of all his achievements.”

“Kayden will be loved and missed by many people – at his college, his gym, his job, by his friends and most of all his family.”

‘He was the life of the party’

Those closest to Kayden say he was known not only for his close family bonds but for the loyalty he showed his friends.

Sam Murdoch described him as “the life of the party”.

“Just like the best guy about, like the life of the party wherever he went,” he said. “He was so happy with his life, like he loved everything, he loved his family, he loved his friends.

“He was just like the best guy around. He didn’t deserve what happened to him because he didn’t do anyone wrong.”

Another of Kayden’s friends, Luic McMillan, said some of his strongest memories are from the final day they spent together.

The group had planned a trip to the beach the previous evening but decided to wait for warmer weather.

“It was probably the best day I’ve ever had with Kayden, it actually felt like we were floating, that’s the only way I can describe it,” he said.

“It was such a good day until after sunset and then it went so bad and became the worst day.”

Tense stand-off before chaos erupted

Luic recalled hearing warnings spread through the crowd.

“I remember Jay Mooney was running down and shouting ‘The Murray are here’ and people started grabbing their stuff.

“People were ready because they were coming for a fight. We seen them at the top of the hill and they started throwing rocks down, so people were running and that’s when you knew it was going to get bad.”

Prosecutors said Kayden and his friends were “flushed” from the crowd before he was chased and stabbed multiple times.

Jurors were shown distressing videos and images from the beach, where hundreds of teenagers had gathered that day.

Luic was nearby as emergency services fought to save his friend.

“Two police officers were giving Kayden CPR, I was sitting next to Kayden and speaking to him, but they said he couldn’t hear anything because he had gone into cardiac arrest,” he said.

“People were shouting and videoing it. The police told me to get everyone away.

“It was frustrating because none of us know what to do in a situation like that. You don’t really get taught or shown what to do, you feel helpless.”

Sam was not at the beach when the attack happened, having missed the trip, but says learning about Kayden’s death was devastating.

“It took me a while to realise it actually did happen because I was so used to seeing him – four days in a row and then it goes to not seeing him at all. It really does hit you hard.”

“A lot of people have lost people and I’m sure they know what it’s like but losing your friend to murder is one of the hardest things anyone could do.”

Kayden’s death created a ripple effect

Both friends now wear tattoos in tribute to Kayden.

“He’ll never be forgotten, his name will live on,” Sam said.

The impact of Kayden’s death continues to be felt far beyond his immediate family.

“It changed everything massively for the family,” Paul said. “It doesn’t just stop at us, it’s a ripple effect through the whole family losing Kayden.

“Trying to keep the kids together through it all as well, trying to get them back into their routines – they weren’t going to school, they weren’t sleeping at night. It was a domino effect and it’s still the exact same right now.”

As the family awaits sentencing, Paul says no punishment will ever be enough.

“I just think he’s an evil, evil, evil person to do what he did,” he said.

“It’s a certain type of person that can actually go through with what he done.

“He’s an animal to be honest and when it comes to sentencing it will never be enough for us as a family because Kayden’s not here.”

The convictions come just days before what would have been Kayden’s 18th birthday.

For his family and friends, the focus remains not on the boys who murdered him, but on the teenager they lost – a son, grandson and friend remembered for a smile that could light up any room.

“It’s never really felt real,” Paul said.

“Sometimes when you get up in the morning, you open your eyes and then you realise he’s not there.”