Teenagers found not guilty of murdering Amen Teklay

Two teenage boys have been found not guilty of murdering 15-year-old Amen Teklay.

The 16-year-old and 17-year-old, who cannot be named due to their age, were accused of murdering the 15-year-old in a sword attack.

Amen was found seriously injured on Clarendon Street, Maryhill, on the evening of March 5 last year and died at the scene.

Prosecutors claimed the boys brandished a sword and a frying pan at Amen while both were masked.

It was said that Amen, who lived in the city with his father, but was originally from Eritrea, was chased before being struck with a sword.

The two boys denied the charge, and the 16-year-old lodged a special defence of self-defence and told the trial how he remembered striking Amen with the sword.

On Monday, jurors returned a verdict of not guilty.

Violent incidents before killing

The trial was told of a number of violent incidents that happened before the killing amid what was described as a feud between Amen’s group and the 16-year-old’s group of friends.

Footage was shown to jurors of Amen being attacked by the 16-year-old and two other youths not on trial in February 2025.

The prosecutor, Adrian Stalker, called it a “frenzied sustained assault”, which was broken up by members of the public.

Mr Stalker went on to mention another incident outside the Lismore bar in Partick three days before Amen was killed.

He said: “Three days before Amen Teklay is killed, (the 16-year-old) ran along the road chasing him with the sword that he ultimately used to kill Amen Teklay.”

From footage later that night, the 16-year-old was seen being chased by Amen near the boy on trial’s home.

Mr Stalker referred to messages from that night allegedly sent by the 16-year-old, which included “let’s get a whip and kill these men”.

On the night of Amen’s death, the 16-year-old stated that he was informed that Amen was in the Maryhill area looking for him and another 16-year-old who was not on trial. It was also stated that Amen was armed.

Mr Stalker told jurors the 16-year-old on trial stated that he told his friends, including the 17-year-old on trial, to “look out for Amen”.

The advocate claimed the 17-year-old on trial said that the 16-year-old told him, “let’s go look for him”.

Mr Stalker argued that the 16-year-old and 17-year-old on trial “went looking” for Amen, with the younger armed with a sword.

However, Brian McConnachie KC, defending the 16-year-old, told jurors that “Amen Teklay was the author of his own misfortune.”

Mr McConnachie said that on the night of the murder, Amen was “seeking out” the 16-year-old.

It was stated that Amen’s phone had evidence of him looking up football pitches where the 16-year-old had been that night.

He added: “Whatever this was, it was not murder. It was self-defence, and no crime was committed at all, or alternatively, it is what we call culpable homicide by virtue of provocation.”

“He was under attack, there was no sensible option. He can’t leave the boy with no such skin in the game. What he does, irrespective that it caused death, it was no more than necessary.