Two teenagers convicted of murdering Kayden Moy on Irvine Beach

Two teenagers were found guilty of murdering Kayden Moy after a row between rival groups on Irvine Beach escalated into a stabbing that left the 16-year-old dead in hospital the next day. Kayden, from East Kilbride, was fatally wounded during the disturbance on Saturday, 17 May 2025, on the North Ayrshire coast.

The beach attack has drawn attention far beyond the courtroom because it began as a teenage confrontation in a public place and ended in a death that police and prosecutors said was avoidable. In the case heard at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court, Jay Stewart, 18, and a 15-year-old who cannot be named for legal reasons were found guilty. A teenager on trial also allegedly asked another youth, "do you want to see a fight," before Kayden was stabbed.

Kayden’s family has spoken publicly about the loss. His father, Paul Moy, paid tribute to his son, saying: "He was more like my best friend." Friends remembered him as "the life of the party," a description that contrasted sharply with the violence that ended his life on Irvine Beach.

The family has also pressed for a change in the law after they were denied the comfort of being allowed to touch or hug their son. That demand has added another layer to a case that already raises hard questions about how schools, police, youth workers and local services identify rivalries before they spill into public violence.

Police Scotland said Kayden died in hospital after being stabbed on Irvine Beach on 17 May 2025. The convictions close one chapter in the case, but they leave open the larger task of stopping teenage disputes from turning lethal in the first place.