Murder accused 'said he'd rip lungs out of Kayden Moy', court hears

A teenager allegedly claimed he was going to rip the lungs out of the 16-year-old he is accused of murdering.

Jay Stewart, 18, is accused of killing Kayden Moy at Irvine Beach on May 17, 2025.

The High Court in Glasgow heard on Thursday from Mr Moy’s friend, 18, who apparently received a message on Instagram a month or two before the alleged attack.

Jurors also heard from Mr Moy’s girlfriend, 19, who claimed to have watched her partner stabbed twice by 18-year-old Cole Turley.

The emotional 19-year-old described her partner “turning white” and his lips going blue after the attack.

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

It is alleged that Stewart and the other teenager had previous ill-will and malice towards him.

Turley had pleaded guilty before trial to the murder charge. The two teens on trial have lodged a special defence of incrimination against him.

Stewart faces a charge of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner towards the 18-year-old friend of Mr Moy.

It is alleged that Stewart sent messages on social media which uttered threats of violence.

The court heard from Mr Moy’s friend through a pre-recorded police interview and court evidence.

The teenager stated that he received a message on Instagram from Stewart in “March or April” 2025.

The message said: “State of you wee c***s man, call yourself a scheme flying past my missus gaff. I will take the face off you…bunch of grasses man.

“I will rip wee Kayden’s lungs out of him. Yous are f***ing grasses…stop acting bold.”

Donald Findlay KC, defending Stewart, asked if the Kayden referred to in the message was Mr Moy and he replied: “Yes.”

The witness claimed that he and his friends had been in the area where Stewart’s girlfriend resides before the message had been sent.

The witness had previously told jurors that he was with Mr Moy before the attack on him on Irvine Beach.

He claimed that he ran from the beach after rocks were thrown at his group but did not know who threw them out of Stewart, Turley and the 15-year-old.

Jurors had previously been told Stewart, Turley and the 15-year-old were members of The Murray Boys gang in East Kilbride, Lanarkshire. It was also stated Mr Moy and his friend were part of the rival Himshie gang.

The witness stated that he met Mr Moy’s girlfriend – who had also been at the beach with them – after the attack took place.

He said: “She was just screaming, pure freaking out…it was basically silence the full way home.”

He stated that he went to Mr Moy’s girlfriend’s father’s home.

He said: “She was going crazy and upset.

“Kayden’s mum phoned her to say he passed away and she started freaking out screaming the house down.”

The witness stated that he had no contact with Stewart, Turley and the 15-year-old after the incident.

He said that after Mr Moy’s death, his friend group had “came a lot closer.”

Jurors heard from Mr Moy’s girlfriend, who told jurors that she had been with Mr Moy and friends that day drinking.

She stated that Stewart, Turley and the 15-year-old threw rocks at them when they were planning to leave.

She claimed that Mr Moy went up on his own to the sand dune the trio were on, but Turley initially was not there.

The witness stated that there was shouting and Stewart was “bouncing back and forth as if he was going to for Kayden.”

Prosecutor Liam Ewing KC asked the woman what happened next and she replied: “Cole Turley ran from Kayden’s left side.

“Kayden saw a weapon – a blade – and when he tried to turn around, he slipped and when he tried to get back up, Cole stabbed him to the left lower side twice.

“After that, Kayden got up and I think he realised what happened and he ran down to the beach.”

The witnesses stated that Turley and the two others left the scene meantime.

When asked what happened at the beach, the woman said: “Kayden was on the floor. His body turned completely white and his lips were blue.

“People were crowding around him, trying to put his T-shirt on the wound.”

Jurors were told that elderly people came along and assisted Mr Moy before an air ambulance arrived for him.

Stewart and the 15-year-old also face other charges which include attempting to pervert the course of justice.

The trial continues before Judge Lord Scott.