MOURNERS gathered in Co Down yesterday to pay their respects to an 18 year-old described as "one of life's gentlemen" who was killed in a car crash.
Christopher Martin (18) died when the car he was driving left the Saintfield Road near Crossgar at around 4am on Sunday.
Requiem Mass was celebrated in the Church of the Immaculate Conception and St Joseph in Crossgar.
Pupils from his former schools, St Patrick's Grammar in Downpatrick and St Colmcille's in Crossgar formed a guard of honour as his remains were taken from the church.
Both principals paid tribute, with St Colmcille's principal Shane McNeill describing Christopher as "one of life's gentlemen" who "touched everyone who knew him".
Mr McNeill said the school community was "grieving" after the death of Christopher and another former pupil, Matthew Davis (18), in a road crash in Saintfield in January.
Christopher was a pupil at St Colmcille's until June 2014, where he completed his GCSEs, before moving to St Patrick's to undertake A-level study.
He was believed to be on a year out before starting university and had been working at Sports Direct in Downpatrick.
A keen soccer player, the teenager had represented amateur league side Kilmore Rec FC at various under-age levels since first joining the club as an U-11 player.
It is understood that Christopher, who lived in Downpatrick, was returning home from Belfast after a night out with friends when he crashed.
Following the funeral Mass, Christopher was buried in The Holy Family Cemetery in Teconnaught.
Christopher is survived by his parents Kieran and Anne Marie, his brother Philip and sister Hannah.
