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Teens Cleared in Sword Killing of 15-Year-Old
6 Jul
Summary
- Two teenagers were acquitted of murder charges related to a stabbing.
- The victim, Amen Teklay, died from a sword wound in Glasgow.
- Self-defense was claimed by one of the acquitted teenagers.
Two teenagers have been found not guilty of murdering 15-year-old Amen Teklay, who was stabbed through the heart with a sword in Glasgow in March 2025. The youths, who were 14 and 15 at the time of the incident, were acquitted by a jury at the High Court in Glasgow. They cannot be named due to their age, but are now 16 and 17.
The younger teenager stated that both he and Amen possessed swords, and he claimed to have stabbed Amen in self-defense. The older teenager, who was present at a distance, maintained he did not attack Amen. Evidence presented in court suggested a feud between Amen and the younger boy, which began in 2024 after an alleged drug-related theft.
During the trial, messages and CCTV footage were presented, illustrating a series of clashes between Amen and the younger boy, sometimes involving weapons. The 16-year-old admitted to purchasing the sword used in the incident online for £40 in January 2025, explaining his prior social media posts with the weapon as an attempt to "build a persona."
On the night of Amen's death, the two acquitted teenagers were at a football centre. After receiving a call that Amen was in the area, they went out. The prosecution argued the 16-year-old intended to confront Amen. The 17-year-old accompanied him, picking up a frying pan for protection. They claimed Amen emerged from behind a car with a knife, leading to the fatal confrontation.
