Teenager denies planning to kill boy in fight

A teenager accused of stabbing a 14-year-old to death in a fight arranged on social media has denied planning to kill him.

The 16-year-old, who cannot be named because of his age, denies murdering Christopher McBurnie on 29 May last year and says he acted in self-defence.

Giving evidence at his trial, he said threats to kill Christopher in a group chat were "bravado" and "empty threats".

Cross-examining, prosecutor David Temkin KC said the defendant had told Christopher he would come out of his house and kill him, adding: "That was exactly what you intended to do."

Temkin said the defendant threatened to kill Christopher 11 times on a group chat, and though threats had been made by them both, the defendant was the first to say it.

In the messages, the court heard the defendant repeatedly told Christopher to "come Ramsey" on 28 May and into the following day.

The teenager denied he knew that Christopher and his friends were on their way to Ramsey on the day of the stabbing.

Asked about two video calls received four minutes after Christopher arrived in Ramsey, the defendant said he could not remember their content, despite David Temkin KC suggesting they informed him Christopher and others were in the town.

Later, when parts of his prepared police statement were read to the court, the defendant agreed he had not mentioned messages in which he threatened to kill Christopher or those indicating the group was on its way to his home.

Temkin asked whether he had omitted those details because he did not want police to know about them.

The defendant replied: "I just forgot to mention it in that."

The court heard the stabbing happened after Christopher had punched the defendant twice and that less than five seconds elapsed while he switched the knife from his left hand to his right.

David Temkin KC said medical evidence showed the first wound, which proved fatal, had passed through two plastic cards in Christopher's pocket before entering his chest.

Asked about the force used, the defendant replied: "I don't think I used excessive force in any of the wounds."

When Temkin asked why he had stabbed Christopher three times, the defendant said: "He was an ongoing threat and I felt under threat."

Temkin then asked: "What else could you possibly have wanted to do, other than kill him?"

"Scare him away," the defendant replied. "I didn't want to kill him at all. I didn't want to cause him serious harm at all."

Asked by Temkin whether it had been fair to stab Christopher, the defendant replied: "In an act of self-defence, yes."

The court was told the two boys were of a similar height at the time of the incident, but the defendant was more than four stone (28kg) heavier.

Jurors had earlier heard that the kitchen knife used in the stabbing was found in the defendant's wardrobe, between a light sabre and a fishing rod.

The defendant denied washing the weapon and placing it in the wardrobe in order to mislead the police.

In the final stages of his cross-examination, David Temkin KC said: "The truth is you meant to kill him, isn't it?"

"No," the defendant replied.

"The truth is it was self-defence.

"It's not in dispute that I came out of my house and he died."

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