Jurors were told that the lock-back knife alleged to be the weapon in the fatal stabbing of 16-year-old Kayden Moy carried DNA matching only Cole Turley and the victim. Turley, 18, has pleaded guilty; Jay Stewart, 18, and a 15-year-old deny murder. Forensic expert Claire Vallance said no DNA attributable to Stewart was found on the knife, and deposits on an extendable baton could not be dated. The defence proposed alternate scenarios for how the knife may have changed hands; the trial continues at the High Court in Glasgow.
No DNA From Two Defendants Found On Knife, Jury Told in Irvine Beach Murder Trial
Kayden Moy was attacked on Irvine Beach [BBC]
Jurors were told that DNA from two of the defendants standing trial over the fatal stabbing of 16-year-old Kayden Moy was not found on the lock-back knife alleged to be the murder weapon.
The court heard that Cole Turley, 18, has pleaded guilty to the murder, while Jay Stewart, 18, and a 15-year-old deny the charge. The alleged killing took place at Irvine beach on 17 May 2025. The trial is being heard at the High Court in Glasgow.
Forensic Evidence
Forensic biologist Claire Vallance described items seized during the investigation, including the lock-back knife said to have been used in the stabbing. Vallance told the court that DNA recovered from that knife matched only Turley and the victim, Kayden Moy.
"There was no DNA attributed to Jay Stewart on this knife," Vallance said under cross-examination.
When asked whether that finding was consistent with Stewart never having handled the knife, Vallance replied that it was. She also confirmed she could not determine whether deposits of Stewart's DNA found on a separate extendable baton were made at the same time.
Defence Scenarios
Defence counsel suggested alternative explanations for how the knife might have been involved. Ian Duguid KC, representing the 15-year-old, offered a scenario in which the knife had been passed from the teenager's waistband to Turley, who then used it to commit the stabbing. Vallance said the knife yielded no DNA that could be attributed to the 15-year-old.
The court previously heard that Turley, Stewart and the 15-year-old were linked to a group referred to as the Murray Boys, while Moy and his friends were said to be associated with a rival group. Witnesses described an altercation between the groups at the beach.
The trial continues before Judge Lord Scott at the High Court in Glasgow.
Help us improve.
