CHRIS Linton was just 25 years old when he was stabbed in the neck in an unprovoked attack as he was on his way home.
Nearly 15 years later, he died from a stroke which was directly linked to the assault.
At an inquest into his death last month, his mother, Tracey McLeod, begged for answers.
A verdict of unlawful killing was recorded, and a murder investigation is underway.
Mum of three Tracey, 61, from Bury, Greater Manchester, says: “Chris was a wonderful son. He had a heart of gold, and he made me so proud.
“I am pleading for answers so that Chris can rest in peace. I understand that people are afraid to speak out against his killer, but it is the right thing to do.
“I am haunted by memories of Chris’ final days; he went through so much pain. We need justice for him.”
Chris was Tracey’s eldest son, born in March 1983.
She says: “I was pregnant at 19 and unmarried it wasn’t the done thing back then.
“But the moment Chris was born, we all idolised him. I called him my ‘Chunky Monkey’ and he had the most brilliant blue eyes.”
After leaving school, Chris trained as a mechanic.
Tracey says: “He spent his spare time fixing cars for friends and neighbours, and they’d buy him four cans of lager in return. He was big-hearted, and he didn’t want money.
“He settled down and had a son whom he adored.
“We had a running joke in the family about Chris’s obsession with his appearance. He spent a fortune on moisturiser and hair products. He once took tanning tablets, which made him orange. Another time he used a face mask which stuck to his face.
“He made us laugh so much. He’d tease his dad, George, ‘I don’t want to get old like you.’ Tragically, he never did.”
Unknown attackers
In October 2008, aged 25, Chris arranged to meet a friend for a drink and a game of pool. After the friend left, Chris walked home alone.
He called over to two young women who smiled back at him before getting into a waiting car.
When Chris approached the car to talk to the women, he was stabbed in the neck by a man in the passenger seat.
The car drove away leaving him bleeding on the ground. Chris was rushed to hospital and, after surgery, was allowed home two days later.
Tracey says: “When I got the call that he’d been stabbed, I was shell-shocked. Chris had never been in any trouble in his life; he had no enemies.
“We had no idea who his attackers were. It all happened in a matter of seconds.
“A police investigation drew a blank, and it was presumed Chris was mistakenly targeted.”
Knife crime in numbers
Between April 2024 and March 2025, in England and Wales there were…
- 204 homicides where a knife or sharp instrument was the method of killing
- 53,047 offences involving a knife or sharp instrument (excluding homicides)
- 28,314 offences of “possession of article with a blade or point”
Data from the Office of National Statistics.
Chris at first seemed to make a good recovery and returned to work.
Tracey says: “We tried to put it behind us. But Chris was very afraid. He kept thinking the men might come back for him; he had no explanation, no closure from the attack and so he feared everyone.
“He went everywhere in a motorbike helmet so he wouldn’t be recognised, and he didn’t socialise much at all. If he left home, he was on the phone to me constantly in case he was attacked.
“His face started swelling. He had severe headaches and was violently sick at times. His tongue was weak, his speech was affected so he could no longer raise his voice. His taste was damaged. He coped with a lot, and yet he worked hard and looked after his family.”
Emergency surgery
In 2009, Chris was referred for tests, which showed a large pseudo-aneurysm in a major artery. He underwent emergency surgery to fit a stent.
Tracey says: “It was terrifying, he was in ICU. We thought he might not survive. I didn’t leave his side.”
But Chris pulled through and his health improved.
Tracey says: “He trained as an RAC inspector, and he loved his work. He was still lacking confidence socially, but he was happiest spending time with family, especially his son. He suffered with headaches and sickness and sometimes, he would say: ‘The stabbing will kill me in the end, Mum.’ I told him not to talk like that.”
But 15 years after he was attacked, Chris suffered a massive stroke out of the blue.
Tracey says: “He was rushed to hospital where he suffered 21 seizures over two days. It was torture seeing him suffer. He couldn’t speak but there was pure terror in his eyes. I felt so helpless, as his Mum, that I couldn’t comfort him.”
Chris passed away on May 30 2023, aged 40.
I am pleading for answers so that Chris can rest in peace.
Tracey
Tracey says: “We were heartbroken. He was my diamond. Our whole family was broken.”
The family at first presumed the stroke was a tragic one-off event. But days later police announced they were opening a murder investigation.
Tracey says: “We were shell-shocked. We couldn’t take it in. We had to wait months for a funeral, we couldn’t kiss or cuddle him. It was very hard.”
At an inquest last month, a coroner recorded a verdict of unlawful killing after a direct link between the attack and the stroke was proved. The hearing at Rochdale Coroner’s Court heard how a list of named witnesses had refused to co-operate with police. The hearing also heard how police had ‘missed opportunities’ in the initial investigation. Evidence, including vital CCTV and witness statements, were lost.
Coroner Joanne Kearsley said she was satisfied Chris was the victim of an ‘unprovoked and violent assault’
Following the inquest, a spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police said: “We are once again appealing to the public for any information that may assist in identifying those responsible. Even the smallest detail could prove crucial in helping us bring closure to Christopher’s family and ensure those responsible are held to account.”
