A jury at the High Court in Glasgow acquitted two teenagers of murder charges on July 6, 2026, following the fatal stabbing of 15-year-old Amen Teklay with a sword last year.
The male defendants, now aged 16 and 17, were found not guilty of the March 5, 2025, attack on Clarendon Street in the Maryhill area.
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Teklay suffered an unsurvivable heart wound during the incident.
Jurors reached the verdict on their second day of deliberations after hearing evidence of a violent feud between Teklay and the 16-year-old that originated from a 2024 drug dispute.
The 16-year-old defendant admitted to striking Teklay but maintained he acted in self-defense when Teklay allegedly ambushed them with a knife.
"It was ridiculous, I was 14 - I didn't know," said the 16-year-old defendant regarding social media videos of him holding the blade.
The younger teenager expressed regret over his past actions before explaining the night of the confrontation.
"I look back now and I was very stupid. I don't know why I did that stuff," said the 16-year-old defendant.
Prosecutor Adrian Stalker challenged the self-defense claim during the trial, describing the incident as a coordinated search for the victim.
"Do you think when he (the 16-year-old) stabbed Amen he didn't know where he was stabbing and not know where he was going for?"
asked Adrian Stalker, Prosecutor.
Stalker further argued that the co-defendant was fully aware of the violent risks involved in the encounter.
