Cole Turley, 18, is appealing the life sentence with a minimum term of 16 years he was given last month after pleading guilty to murdering 16-year-old Kayden Moy on Irvine Beach in Ayrshire. The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service confirmed on Tuesday that Turley had lodged an appeal.
Turley was jailed for life after the killing, while another killer, Jay Stewart, 19, received the same sentence and a third boy, aged 15, was detained for at least 14 years for the attack on 17 May last year.
In a post on social media, Kayden's father, Paul Moy, said the appeal had left the family “devasted”.
“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.
“We will never understand how someone who took our son's life can now ask for another chance.
“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.”
Kayden Moy was attacked on Irvine Beach in May last year.
The trial heard that Turley and the other teens were members of the Murray Boys from East Kilbride, while Kayden was a member of the rival Himshie group. They had travelled to Irvine beach after a fight between the groups earlier that day.
The trio chased Kayden and repeatedly stabbed him with a knife after he fell to the ground. After running from the scene, Turley stuck the knife into the grass and was overheard boasting that he had “just done him”.
CCTV showed the trio running down a road near to the beach, stopping momentarily to embrace each other. After the stabbing, which led to scenes of chaos on the beach, they took a taxi back to East Kilbride. Kayden died in hospital the following day.
The trial heard that the trio went on to create a rap song mocking Moy, and Turley had acted out the murder on the couch of a friend whose flat was used as a hide-out.
Turley pleaded guilty. Stewart and the 15-year-old both denied murder but were convicted in June after a trial at the High Court in Glasgow.
Meanwhile, last week Stewart posted a video online from jail in which he appears to boast about stabbing Kayden. The video, filmed in a cell in HMP Polmont and posted on Snapchat, shows Stewart topless, masked and rapping about the killing, claiming he will act violently again once he is released.
The BBC understands the Scottish Prison Service is investigating the matter after it was reported anonymously.
How did the attack unfold?
The attack began after a confrontation between rival groups on Irvine Beach on 17 May last year and ended with Kayden Moy being fatally stabbed. The trial heard that Turley, Stewart and the 15-year-old chased him and repeatedly stabbed him after he fell to the ground.
What happened after the killing?
After the stabbing, Turley ran from the scene, placed the knife in the grass and was overheard boasting that he had “just done him”. CCTV captured the three teenagers running near the beach and briefly embracing before they left in a taxi back to East Kilbride.
What sentences were imposed?
Cole Turley, Jay Stewart and the 15-year-old were all sentenced in connection with the murder. Turley and Stewart were each jailed for life with a minimum term of 16 years, while the 15-year-old was detained for at least 14 years.
What is happening with the prison video?
The Scottish Prison Service is investigating a video posted by Stewart from HMP Polmont after it was reported anonymously. In the Snapchat clip, filmed in a cell, he appears topless and masked and raps about the killing, claiming he will act violently again once he is released.
Key Facts
- Cole Turley, 18, lodged an appeal on Tuesday against his life sentence with a minimum term of 16 years.
- Kayden Moy, 16, died in hospital the day after the stabbing on Irvine Beach in May last year.
- Jay Stewart, 19, received the same sentence, and a 15-year-old was detained for at least 14 years.
- The Scottish Prison Service is investigating a Snapchat video posted by Stewart from HMP Polmont.
