Justin Burton is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Chris Fountain. Justin arrived in 2003 and departed on 3 June 2009. Justin arrived in a family of six, however by September 2006, the Burton family had left the show. It was announced in March 2009 that Fountain had decided to leave the show and would depart in a 'major storyline which echoes the fire which killed his sisters'. Fountain was credited in a flashback episode broadcast on 1 December 2010. On 12 April 2023, it was revealed that Justin had been killed off-screen on 5 October 2022, nearly 14 years after his last appearance on screen.
Storylines Justin arrives with his mother Liz, identical twin sisters Mel and Sophie, Liz's partner Richard Taylor and his children Darlene and Ali. Justin often rivals with the pair and always finds it hard to accept the Taylor clan as part of his family. Justin's world is torn apart after he discovers that his father had committed suicide, as Justin thought he died of a heart attack. Feeling confused of why his father had done this and angry that his mother had hid the truth, Justin's behaviour goes out of control as he begins to take drugs and skips school. Justin starts stealing from his family to pay for his drug habit and his bad attitude begins to unsettle the family. Justin starts to hang around the wrong crowd, including his new best friend, Macki, who Justin buys his drugs from. Macki encourages Justin to distract the others in their class including Justin's stepbrother Ali and his friend Nicole Owen. It is not long before his actions take a serious effect. During Darlene’s 18th birthday, Justin pushes her through a window which leaves her face scarred. Liz tries to force him to apologise so Justin hits her. This leaves Liz with no choice and she forces Justin to go to a boot camp. When he arrives, Justin makes friends with a girl called Paula. The pair start to rebel against the camp counsellors. One of the counsellors reads a letter Darlene had written about Justin. He slowly learns about the mistakes he made and realises he has to do a lot of making up to his family. Justin returns home and tries to convince his family that he has changed for the better, but they need more evidence. Gradually, Justin begins to gain his family's trust. He builds a close relationship with Ali and he also contributes money towards Darlene’s plastic surgery for her scar. Justin begins developing a crush on his teacher Becca Dean when she starts helping him with his GCSEs.
Justin stays out of trouble until Macki tries to get him to hang around with him again. Justin refuses so he can hang around with Ali. Macki starts to bully Justin and Ali. He is racist towards Ali and tries to frame Justin for a fire he starts in the school. Macki takes a picture of Justin trying to stop him turning on the gas taps before the science laboratory blows up. Macki sends the pictures to Becca. Justin manages to convince her not to report him until he could clear his name and he eventually finds evidence to support his claims and manages to get Macki expelled from school. The next term, Macki returns to school and wants revenge. The bullying gets worse and Macki gets Justin beaten up by his friends. Justin and Ali decide to keep the bullying to themselves. Justin buys a knife as the bullying get out of hand. Richard finds the knife and confiscates it. Ali finally has enough of the bullying and finds the knife. He leaves in search of Macki. Ali finds him and offers a one-on-one fight. Ali leads Macki off to a quiet area. Justin discovers the knife is missing and, with the help of Darlene, they go off in search of Ali. Ali turns his back on Macki, picks up a brick. Justin arrives and shouts to Ali to watch out for Macki and the brick. Ali turns around quickly and accidentally stabs Macki. Justin urges Ali to run as he takes the knife. Ali then runs across the road without looking and gets hit by a car. Darlene turns up just at the same moment. She calls an ambulance. Justin hides the knife in the toilets at the hospital. Justin is informed that both Macki and Ali died. Justin returns to get the knife and he is arrested for Macki's murder. Justin tries to tell the police that Ali killed Macki in self-defence but they do not believe him. Darlene does not want to believe her brother is a murderer and accuses Justin of lying. Justin is remanded to a youth detention centre, where he is bullied by his cellmate. Justin is beaten up and ends up having to go to the dentist to fix his teeth. While there, he sees a chance to leave and he escapes.
He makes contact with Becca who tries to convince him to turn himself in, Justin is almost caught. Mel and Sophie give Justin some supplies and he is almost caught again. Justin approaches Nicole and asks her to get him food. Nicole assumes they are going to run off together and when she finds out Justin does not love her, she calls the police. They arrest Justin and he goes back to prison to await trial, where he is visited in secret by Becca. At the trial, Macki's friends make out that Justin bullied them and Macki, however, Justin's lawyer shows the court a video on Macki's phone showing his gang beating up Ali. The prosecution put Justin's cellmate on the stand and he tells the court that Justin confessed to Macki's murder. Nicole and Becca are put on the stand, and the prosecution insinuate that Becca is having an affair with Justin. Darlene sees the video of Macki's gang beating up Ali and realises that Ali killed Macki. Darlene then lies in court that she had seen Ali stabbing Macki. The jury find Justin not guilty and he is freed from prison.
Justin sets out to win Becca's love. Nicole tells the school she slept with Justin. Justin tells her it's in her head. Becca confronts Justin about his treatment of Nicole. Justin asks her if she is jealous and they end up sleeping together on Christmas Day 2005. Jealous over her marriage to Jake Dean, Justin begins a relationship with Becca's sister, Nancy to make Becca jealous. Justin and Becca continue their affair. Becca becomes pregnant and is unsure over the baby's paternity. Becca ends her and Justin's relationship after Grace Hutchinson dies and she decides to stay with Jake to raise the baby together rather than run away with Justin. Nicole finds out about the affair and tells Nancy, who then tells Jake. Jake attacks Justin. News of their affair spreads around the village. Justin and Becca continue their relationship and he moves in with Becca and Nancy after Liz moves to Colchester. Justin and Becca get into financial troubles when Becca is fired from her teaching job for sleeping with a student. They live off of Justin's child benefits and his income from a part-time job at Il Gnosh. Becca gets a job at a fast food restaurant.
The relationship becomes rocky when Justin befriends Sonny Valentine. Becca realises how immature Justin is and feels he is not ready to be a father to her baby. Justin's behaviour becomes worse after Mel and Sophie die in a fire caused by Sam Owen. Justin discovers that Sophie's boyfriend, Russ Owen was sleeping with Mercedes McQueen when Sophie died. Justin's behaviour spirals out of control and he vandalises a mural painted by Nancy's boyfriend, Foz for those who died in the fire. Justin waits outside the Student Ball with Sonny for Russ to show so they can beat him up, but when Kris Fisher tries to get them to leave, he takes out his frustration on him. Sonny runs off, while Justin is arrested and spends a night in the cells at the police station. Justin proposes to Becca just as she is thinking about dumping him. Feeling sorry for him after his sisters' death, she accepts.
Becca dumps Justin after he threatens Jake after seeing him and Becca discussing their divorce. Enraged at being dumped, Justin gets revenge by filing a case against Becca for having sex with a minor. Everyone turns against Justin and he is kidnapped by Jake, who does not want his child to be born in prison. Justin escapes and testifies against Becca but decides not to report Jake. Becca is found guilty and is sentenced to two years in prison where she gives birth to a boy named Charlie. During Becca's trial, Justin moves in with the Valentines and Sonny's sister Sasha falls for Justin. Justin and Sasha share a kiss, although he has no true feelings for her. Justin builds up a friendship with Sonny's father Leo and the two start drinking and gambling together. This makes Sonny's brother, Calvin angry as Justin tells him he will spend time looking for a new job and home. He goes back to smoking cannabis and when Calvin finds his stash, Sasha lies and tells him it is hers. Justin sleeps with Sasha, who is under-age. Sasha wants a relationship with Justin but he refuses telling her she is too young. Becca decides to let Charlie live with Jake. Justin grows jealous when he sees Charlie with Jake. Later, Justin sees Jake's car unlocked outside Drive N' Buy. He and Sonny take it joyriding and discover Charlie in the back. Justin holds him in his arms and realises that he is Charlie's father. Justin asks Jake for a paternity test. When the results return, Jake does not open it but tells his family that he is Charlie's father. He then gets rid of the letter.
Justin is befriended by local gangster Warren Fox, who is running The Loft with Clare Cunningham. Warren gives Justin a job. A drunken Justin confesses to Warren that he lied about Becca sleeping with him when he was 15. Warren is disgusted and forces Justin to confess to the police. They start procedures to release Becca. Becca ends up in a fight with her cellmate, who then pulls out a knife and stabs her. Becca is rushed to hospital but sadly dies. Justin, unaware of her death, asks Jake how Becca was doing, Jake turns to him and tells him she was killed. Justin tries to apologise to Nancy. Angry that he caused Becca's death, Nancy attacks Justin. At Becca's funeral, Jake bursts into the Valentine home and plans to kill Justin, but Calvin stops him in time, as Justin discover that Becca's true love was Jake, and didn't love him, and was devastated. Feeling guilty, Justin goes to Mel and Sophie's graves and tells them that he has nothing in his life now.
Justin is thrown out of the Valentine's when Louise Summers, Becca's best friend, moves in with boyfriend Calvin. She insists Justin moves out, Justin is taken in by Warren. Justin finds himself caught up in a feud between Warren and Clare. When Warren goes to Spain, Clare seduces Justin in an attempt to get him on her side and get information on Warren. She finds Sean Kennedy's wallet while snooping in Warren's flat. Clare becomes suspicious over the whereabouts of Sean. Justin lies to Warren that someone had taken the wallet. Clare gives Warren the wallet back. She becomes even more suspicious. Warren finds out about Clare and Justin sleeping together, he takes a terrified Justin out into the woods and tells him to dig. Justin believes he is digging his own grave and that Warren will kill him. Warren reveals that he is digging up Sean's body and wants Justin to dig it up for him and throw it in a river. Justin does what Warren asks because if he does not, Warren will kill him. Shaken Justin tells Warren he will not tell anyone about Sean's murder.
A new girl arrives in the village who Justin takes an instant like to. Unfortunately she turns out to be Warren's sister Katy Fox. Justin tries to avoid Katy but they end up dating secretly. Katy talks to Louise Summers about her relationship but is upset when Louise tells her about Justin's role in Becca's death. After speaking to Justin about it, Katy sees that Justin has changed and is willing to give their relationship a second chance. However, Clare finds out about the relationship and tells Warren, who beats Justin up.