Teenage accused 'confessed' sword murder to friend, trial told

A teenager accused of murdering 15-year-old Amen Teklay "confessed" to stabbing him through the heart, a trial has heard.

Prosecutors say the 16-year-old and his 17-year-old co-accused assaulted Amen in the St George's Cross area of Glasgow on 5 March last year.

The pair are then alleged to have chased Amen and stabbed him to death with a sword on the city's Clarendon Street.

A young witness made the allegation about the confession in a statement to police, but told the court - via recorded evidence - that he could not remember being told that Amen had been stabbed in the chest and through the back.

The youth, also age 16, was initially arrested for the murder. He gave an interview to police which was shown to the jury at the High Court in Glasgow.

The teenager recalled speaking to the 16-year-old accused about the incident at school.

He told officers: "I asked him and he told me. He confessed to it."

The youth's recorded court evidence was then played to the court.

He stated that the 16-year-old on trial knew that Amen was in the area before his death.

Amen had allegedly asked another youth where the 16-year-old accused and the youth giving evidence were.

When asked by prosecutor Adrian Stalker about being told by the 16-year-old accused where on the body that Amen was stabbed, the witness said he couldn't remember.

A special defence of self-defence has been lodged by the 16-year-old boy on trial.

The boy being interviewed by police had played football with the two boys on trial at the Firhill Complex in Maryhill on the night of Amen's death, but then went home.

The youth told officers that he got a phone call from another boy who was in their company later that night, who told him the 16-year-old on trial had stabbed Amen.

The youth then spoke to the 16-year-old accused about the incident while at school.

When asked by Det Con Michelle McLeod what the 16-year-old on trial had told him, the youth replied: "He said he got stabbed in the chest out of his back.

"When he took it out, all the blood went on his face and his eyelashes."

The officer asked the youth how he felt hearing this and he replied: "I was shocked, I was sad, I knew what the consequences would be with him doing that."

Brian McConnachie KC, defending the 16-year-old, quizzed the youth on his first meeting with Amen.

He stated Amen stole drugs from him and the 16-year-old on trial which they were selling at Kelvinhall subway station.

Jurors previously watched footage of Amen being attacked in February 2025

It is claimed to have included the 16-year-old on trial and the youth giving evidence.

The youth claimed a person wearing clothing similar to Amen's then tried to attack him with a weapon as he walked to school the next day.

Jurors watched footage of youths with weapons outside the Lismore bar in Partick, which was stated to also have involved Amen and the 16-year-old on trial.

McConnachie asked if Amen had the same weapon as the person outside of his school and the teenager replied he did.

The father of the younger of the two boys on trial also gave evidence.

The witness said the teenager returned home on the night of the killing in a hurry, and looking frightened.

The father said: "The colour in his face was quite pale. He said: 'Mum and Dad, I love you' and he ran away."

The father later learned of a death and went on to speak to his son about it, but told the court the boy stated that no one had died.

The boy allegedly commented to family while waiting for officers to arrive: "Do not worry if I go to prison. Do not get upset."

The trial, before Judge Lord Colbeck, continues.