An 18-year-old, Cole Turley, has lodged an appeal against the minimum 16-year term he received after pleading guilty to the murder of 16-year-old Kayden Moy at Irvine Beach. Two other teens, Jay Stewart and a 15-year-old, received minimum terms of 16 and 14 years respectively following the attack on 17 May. The case included CCTV evidence and testimony that the attackers mocked the victim; a prison video showing Stewart seemingly boasting about the killing has prompted an SPS inquiry. Kayden's family say the appeal has left them devastated and forced to relive the trauma.
Cole Turley Appeals 16-Year Minimum Term Over Irvine Beach Killing Of 16-Year-Old Kayden Moy
Cole Turley, 18, was jailed for life for a minimum of 16 years last month [Police Scotland]
An 18-year-old man convicted in the fatal stabbing of 16-year-old Kayden Moy at Irvine Beach has lodged an appeal against the minimum 16-year sentence he received last month.
Appeal Lodged
The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service confirmed on Tuesday that Cole Turley has formally submitted an appeal against the minimum term handed down after he pleaded guilty to murder. Turley was sentenced to a life term with a minimum of 16 years to serve.
Attack And Convictions
The attack took place on 17 May last year after rival youth groups from East Kilbride — described in evidence as the "Murray Boys" and the opposing "Himshie" group — travelled to Irvine following an earlier confrontation. Prosecutors say Turley, Jay Stewart, 19, and a 15-year-old chased Kayden along the beach; after he fell they repeatedly stabbed him. Kayden later died in hospital.
Kayden Moy was attacked on Irvine Beach in May last year [Police Scotland]
Jay Stewart received the same minimum 16-year term, while the 15-year-old was detained for at least 14 years. Turley pleaded guilty. Stewart and the younger defendant denied murder but were convicted following a High Court trial in Glasgow.
Additional Details And Reaction
Witness evidence and CCTV shown at court captured the trio running from the scene and briefly embracing on a nearby road. Prosecutors said Turley disposed of the knife in grass and was overheard boasting that he had "just done him." The court also heard that the attackers later recorded a rap mocking Kayden, and that Turley reenacted aspects of the killing at a friend's flat used as a hide-out.
"Just when we try to find some way to carry on, we're dragged straight back into the nightmare. There never seems to be any peace or chance to heal," Kayden's father, Paul Moy, wrote on social media. "Sixteen years never felt like justice to us in the first place, and now we're faced with the possibility of having to relive everything all over again."
Prison Footage And Inquiry
Separately, a video posted online from inside HMP Polmont showed Jay Stewart masked and rapping about the killing; he appears to boast about the attack and to threaten future violence. The Scottish Prison Service has opened an investigation after the clip was reported anonymously.
The appeal means the sentence and its terms may be reviewed in a higher court, and the family have said the prospect of renewed legal proceedings is retraumatising. The Scottish courts will provide further details if and when the appeal is listed for hearing.
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