Man jailed for role in Max Dixon and Mason Rist murders

A man who drove four teenagers on a revenge mission that led to two best friends being murdered in a case of mistaken identity has been handed two life sentences.

Mason Rist, 15, and Max Dixon, 16, died after being stabbed by the teenagers in a frenzied attack outside Mason’s home on Ilminster Avenue in Knowle West, Bristol, on 27 January.

Antony Snook, 45, tried to claim he was oblivious to the plan, but a jury rejected this defence and found him guilty of the murders.

Riley Tolliver, 18, and three boys, 17, 16 and 15, were also found guilty of murder and will be sentenced on 16 December.

Sentening Snook at Bristol Crown Court, honourable Mrs Justice May told him there were multiple opportunities to “stop this madness, to lock the car doors”.

“You were so weak and cowardly to lend yourself to the revenge scheme of others,” she said.

Snook will serve a minimum of 38 years in jail.

Tolliver and the three youngest defendants, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had been driven to and from Knowle West by Snook.

Max and Mason were wrongly identified as being responsible for bricks being thrown at a house in the Hartcliffe area earlier that evening.

CCTV cameras outside Mason’s home captured Snook’s Audi Q2 pulling onto Ilminster Avenue, where the four youngest defendants then jumped out, wielding large machetes.

The friends were ambushed in an attack that lasted just 33 seconds, while Snook sat waiting in his parked car with the lights off.

The teenagers then got back into Snook’s car, which performed a U-turn in the street and sped away, leaving the boys collapsed in the street.

The friends died in hospital within 15 minutes of each other in the early hours of Sunday morning.

As part of the sentencing hearing, victim personal statements prepared by the mothers and sisters of Max and Mason were read to the court.

Ray Tully KC, prosecuting, summarised the statement from Nikki Knight, the mother of Mason, describing how the attack on her son took place outside their home.

“She, as a mother, feels she failed to protect her son. That is a thought that will stay with her,” she said.

“Ultimately, she says when trying to find words to put her emotions and feelings down on paper, it is an impossible task.”

Leanne Ekland, Max Dixon’s mother, told the court she had rushed to the road where her son was stabbed and cradled him as he lay fatally injured on the pavement.

“He looked at me and said he wanted to sleep, he was so pale,” she said.

“The pain was unbearable. I knew then my life had been changed and my heart ripped out. I have never felt so much pain.”