It is a year since the death of Christopher McBurnie, which shocked the Isle of Man public.

In the midst of the TT fortnight, tragedy struck on May 29, 2025, in the Close Drean area of Ramsey.

As an inquest later heard, Christopher, 14, died from a wound to the chest.

A 14-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has been charged with murder in connection with Christopher’s death.

The accused appeared at the Court of General Gaol Delivery via video link in September last year, where he was arraigned on a single charge of murder and entered a plea of not guilty.

A pre-trial review was held last week. The trial is due to begin on September 28 this year and is expected to last four weeks. No application for bail has been made and the accused remains in custody.

But lost among all the talk of inquests and trials is Christopher himself. He is now often associated with the ongoing criminal proceedings but to his family and friends he was so much more.

Christopher’s family have tried to keep a low profile in a bid to avoid prejudicing the trial, but a page has been set up by family and friends which aims to keep Christopher’s memory alive while also raising awareness about knife crime and its impact on communities.

The family have also released more photos of Christopher, who lived in Castletown, to the Manx Independent capturing his character.

In the lead-up to the anniversary on Friday, family and friends posted on the Christopher’s Legacy page.

‘It will be a year on Friday since we last saw our beautiful boy alive,’ it says.

‘Behind every court date, every article, and every security measure is a 14-year-old boy who was deeply loved and is painfully missed every single day.

‘Christopher was more than a headline. He was a son, a brother, a friend. He had the biggest laugh, the cheekiest smile, and a heart that filled our home with noise, chaos, and love.

‘He should still be here growing up with his brothers and sister, making memories, annoying us, and planning his future.

‘As the trial approaches, we carry the unbearable weight of reliving what happened to Christopher. No family should ever have to walk this path.

‘Christopher’s Legacy was created so his name stands for more than tragedy.

‘It stands for awareness, change, protection, and fighting for safer futures for children. We will continue speaking up about knife crime and the devastating impact it leaves behind not just on victims, but on families and entire communities forever.’

An earlier post on Christopher’s Legacy said: ‘As it gets closer to a year without Christopher, people will say words like “grief,” “trauma,” “shock,” and “healing”.

‘A year sounds like such a long time. But for us, it feels like yesterday.’