CCTV shows teenager's final journey on day of death

14-year-old took two buses to get to defendant's home

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A warning that this story contains information which some readers may find distressing.

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CCTV images from the trip a teenager made to Ramsey on the day he was stabbed have been shown to a jury.

Fourteen-year-old Christopher McBurnie was pictured sitting with friends on a bus, from Douglas to the northern town, on 29 May last year.

The teenager accused of his murder, who is now 15, is standing trial at Douglas Courthouse.

The defendant, who cannot be named for legal reasons due to his age, denies the charge against him.

Castletown

At Douglas Courthouse today (30 September) jurors were given details about Christopher’s final journey on the day he died.

It followed extensive messaging - predominantly over the social media platform Snapchat - between Christopher, the defendant and a wider group of teenagers.

You can find out more HERE.

Messages sent late in the evening on 28 May, and into the early hours of the following day, revealed plans for a ‘one-on-one’ fight between the then 14-year-old boys.

In a message sent by Christopher, on 29 May, he wrote: “We going Ramsey tomorrow to f**k him (the defendant) up.”

At 12.46pm that day, after waking up, Christopher confirmed he was going to go to Ramsey and at 1.11pm he sent a message saying: “I’m going bus stop now.”

Six minutes later he sent a picture of himself at the bus stop in Castletown.

The court was told there was no CCTV available onboard the bus from the ancient capital to Douglas.

Douglas

At 2.21pm Christopher sent another image over social media; this time of the Number 3 bus he was boarding from Douglas to Ramsey.

The message: “Getting the bus now,” accompanied the photo.

CCTV from that vehicle showed Christopher sitting with a teenager upstairs.

At 2.56pm another friend got on the bus at Laxey and joined the two teenagers.

Christopher sent another photo of himself, on the bus, at 3.10pm.

The trio is then pictured, on the onboard CCTV, getting off the bus at Ramsey Bus Station four minutes later.  

Ramsey

Footage from the bus station showed several individuals, said to be friends of Christopher, waiting for the bus to arrive in Ramsey.

Once they'd got off the group of nine teenagers was caught on CCTV, at various locations, making their way through the town to the defendant’s home.

They were wearing dark clothing, and many had their hoods up, when they arrived in the vicinity of the property shortly afterwards.

Ring doorbell footage from the defendant’s home was also played to the court.

In it the defendant could be heard saying: “How many f***ing people do you need,” as he opened the door.

“He’s been stabbed”

Jurors were, again, shown the mobile phone footage captured in the moments after Christopher was stabbed.

In it one of his friends can be heard exclaiming: “You just f***ing stabbed him bro. Nah, lad, what? You just f***ing stabbed him bro.”

At 3.24pm a number of the group were pictured on CCTV running from the scene.

Footage from another Ring doorbell, on a neighbouring property, taken one minute later was also played.

In it a member of the public can be seen running to help; a woman’s voice can be heard in the background saying: “I don’t know what do to.”

The Trial

The juvenile defendant denies the charge of murder.

The trial is due to continue tomorrow (1 October).