'Best friend' of Kayden Moy tells how he witnessed fatal stabbing

A teenager has told a murder trial how he witnessed his 16-year-old "best friend" being stabbed to death on Irvine Beach.

The 17-year-old was giving evidence in the trial of Jay Stewart, 18, and a 15-year-old boy, who are accused of killing Kayden Moy on 17 May last year.

The murder charge says the pair, while acting with 18-year-old Cole Turley, pursued Kayden and caused him to fall to the ground before he was repeatedly stabbed.

Kayden's friend said the accused had come to Irvine looking for the victim. It is alleged that Stewart and the other teenager had previous ill-will and malice towards him.

Turley pleaded guilty before the trial to the murder charge, while the two teenagers on trial have lodged a special defence of incrimination against him.

The witness gave recorded evidence to police officers two weeks after the alleged murder, which was played to jurors.

He told officers that he and a group of friends - which included Kayden Moy - were part of the Himshie gang based in the Greenhills area of East Kilbride in South Lanarkshire.

The teenager said that his group had travelled to Irvine and were sitting on sand dunes when he and another boy initially got into a revenge attack on an unrelated youth on behalf of the Himshie gang.

The teenager claimed that later that day rocks "the size of hands" were thrown at his group but did not make contact.

When asked by police who threw the rocks, the teenager said Stewart, Turley and the 15-year old were responsible.

The teenager said he knew the trio, who were part of the Murray Boys gang in East Kilbride, and said they had previously been friends with them.

The witness told jurors that he, Kayden and another boy went up the sand dune to "confront" Stewart, Turley and the 15-year-old.

The groups were about 10 ft (3m) from each other when Turley took out a knife and Stewart revealed a cosh.

The teenager claimed they told the pair to get rid of their weapons and offered to "box" them.

However, the boy said Kayden slipped, and Turley jumped on him and stabbed him.

It was claimed that the 15-year-old "did not hit anyone" but had shouted threats and threw rocks.

When asked what the trio were there for, the teenager said: "Probably, they came for us. One hundred percent. Apparently they were at Troon or Ayr and came to Irvine. They came and found us.

"It was planned. How would they know what sand dune we were on. There were so many people around."

The boy recalled that he and the other boy took Kayden down to the beach and were soon surrounded by others, as the victim's face went white and blood ran down his leg.

Under questioning from Donald Findlay KC, defending Stewart, the witness said it was a scene of "total chaos".

Mark Stewart KC, defending the 15-year-old, asked if Kayden had a bottle in his possession during the confrontation.

The teenage replied: "I don't remember, I don't think he did."

The court earlier heard evidence from Det Con Ally Dunne, 45, who was taken through a number of still and moving images from the incident.

Under questioning he agreed the footage of Turley standing over Kayden on the sand dune suggested that, at that point in time Turley, was a lone attacker.

The two teens also face other charges which include attempting to pervert the course of justice.

The trial continues before Judge Lord Scott.