A teenager has denied he and the victim of a stabbing were due to fight the murder suspect two on one.
The boy, who was 14 at the time, also denied he had planned to use a chain he was wearing as a knuckle duster.
Evidence from juvenile witnesses is continuing to be heard this week at the trial of a 15-year-old accused of the murder of 14-year-old Christopher McBurnie, who was stabbed to death in Ramsey on May 29 last year.
The defendant, who cannot be named for legal reasons, admits inflicting the fatal wound but claims he was acting in self-defence. He has pleaded not guilty to murder.
At the end of day five of the trial, a police interview was played of a boy who had accompanied Christopher after boarding the bus from Douglas to Ramsey.
In the interview he told the police officer Christopher and the defendant squared up outside the defendant’s house. He said they seemed to trade punches which only ‘lasted three seconds’ before he realised Christopher had been stabbed.
The teenage witness said: ‘I didn’t know what to do, I was in shock.’
He confirmed there had been bad blood between Christopher and the defendant for some time and that it had to do with ‘some beef’ on TikTok Live.
He also told the officer Christopher had not taken any weapons with him and that the fight was between the defendant and Christopher alone.
But the boy was cross examined by defence advocate Siobhan Grey KC.
She put it to him that he and Christopher planned a two-on-one fight and she went through a series of Snapchat messages between Christopher, the defendant, the witness and others in a group chat which seemed to back that up.
The boy told the court in live evidence that was the original plan but on the day it was decided it would just be between the defendant and Christopher.
The boy said the defendant had asked for the two-on-one fight but Ms Grey put it to the boy that the defendant thought it was all talk and would not actually happen.
Ms Grey also put it to the boy that he had planned to use a chain round his neck as a knuckle duster.
The boy said: ‘We talked about it but we didn’t bring anything. I had my chain but not round my fist.’
However, CCTV from the bus journey the boy and Christopher took from Douglas to Ramsey was shown.
It showed the boys laughing and joking about what they would do, demonstrating punches and fight moves.
It also showed the boy taking off his chain and wrapping it round his fist before demonstrating punches on himself in front of Christopher.
When asked by Ms Grey if the chain would be used to cause ‘really serious injury’ the boy replied by saying ‘yeah, it would have been’.
Doorbell camera footage was also played which showed the defendant putting his head out of the door after the group arrived and asking why they needed so many people.
When asked, the boy admitted he was moving towards the gate of the defendant’s home to help Christopher.
Another teen who witnessed the fight at close quarters also gave evidence on day six.
In a police interview he said he had heard at school that day there would be a fight and met Christopher and others at the bus station before walking to the defendant’s house.
He said: ‘When I saw [the defendant] come out of his house I knew something bad was going to happen.
‘He seemed shocked by how many people were there and maybe thought they had all come to fight him which wasn’t the case.
‘[The defendant] threw the first punch in Christopher’s face and then they exchanged punches.
‘I then saw [the defendant] grab Chris by the neck and I thought he threw punches into his body but Chris shouted “what are you doing, get off me”. I saw blood but didn’t realise how serious it was.’
The boy said he ran off as he feared he would get into trouble and only found out a couple of hours later that Christopher had died. He later contacted police and gave a statement.
The trial continues at Douglas Courthouse.