Driver unaware teens were armed before fatal revenge attack, murder trial told

Four armed teenagers kept their weapons hidden from the driver who is accused of taking them to and from the scene of a revenge attack where two boys were allegedly murdered, a jury has been told.

Antony Snook, 45, is accused of driving Riley Tolliver, 18, and three boys aged 15, 16 and 17 to and from the scene of the alleged murders in Bristol.

Mason Rist, 15, and Max Dixon, 16, died from stab wounds shortly after leaving Mason’s home on Ilminster Avenue in the Knowle West area on January 27 this year, Bristol Crown Court heard.

The two boys had been wrongly identified as being responsible for bricks being thrown at a house in the neighbouring Hartcliffe district earlier that evening.

In a closing speech, Adam Vaitilingam KC, representing Snook, asked the jury for what reason his client would involve himself in a revenge attack.

“What is the likelihood of him agreeing to take part in the attack? He is not a gang member. He is not involved in tit-for-tat between Hartcliffe and Knowle West,” Mr Vaitilingam said.

“There is nothing you know about him to suggest he would want to get into his car and drive to Knowle West with his car seen on ANPR cameras to get involved in violent retribution.

“He said to the police about his car being seen on ANPR cameras. He is not an idiot.

“What is the evidence that Mr Snook knew the four defendants were carrying weapons and knew they were planning on using them?”

Mr Vaitilingam said the CCTV recording two of the defendants leaving the property in Hartcliffe with Snook and walking to his car did not show either them carrying weapons.

“We suggest it is pretty obvious they are not carrying those weapons in their hands,” he said.

“The inference is that they are hidden amongst their clothing. Who are they hiding these weapons from?

“We don’t know because they have not given evidence, and I have not been able to ask them.

“The most likely person they are hiding them from is Mr Snook because they knew or suspected that if he knew they were carrying those weapons he would say, ‘No way am I going to take them wherever’.

“What is the evidence that he knew? The evidence suggests they were hidden and, we suggest, that is the most likely reason he does not see them.”

Snook had told the jury he thought he was driving his four co-accused in his Audi Q2 car to a safe house following the attack on the Hartcliffe property.

He said he left that house with two of the teenagers and then picked up the other two on a nearby street.

Mr Vaitilingam suggested those two were also hiding their weapons when they were collected.

“Is it likely they were standing there on the side of the road with their weapons in their hands?” he asked.

“It is much more likely they would have them stashed in their clothing.

“Is it likely that Mr Snook saw those weapons when these boys got into the car?”

The barrister added: “We would suggest there is nothing in the prosecution case that can make you sure that he knew those weapons were in the car.”

A CCTV camera on Mason’s house captured how the attack lasted just 33 seconds – including the Audi stopping, four teenagers allegedly jumping out, attacking the two friends, returning to the car and it driving off.

Mr Vaitilingam suggested the prosecution had not made the jury sure that Snook had seen the attacks on the two boys.

“At the time the attack is happening on Mason, Mr Snook is about 100 metres away,” he said.

“There are parked cars, a van, and the Range Rover approaching and overtaking him.

“I cannot say for sure that he didn’t see it, but the prosecution have not done that analysis.

“We just ask you when you think about it, is it pretty likely that he didn’t see the attack upon Mason?

“It is not just realistic that he saw any of the attack upon Mason.

“The same is true of the attack on Max. It is quite impossible to say that Mr Snook saw the attack on Max or should have seen it.

“Seeing people running in the road is not the same as seeing people stabbed. There is no basis for prosecution saying that he saw Max and Mason stabbed.”

Mason and Max sustained fatal stab injuries and both died in hospital in the early hours of January 28.

The 15-year-old boy on trial has admitted murdering Mason but denies murdering Max. The 17-year-old boy has admitted manslaughter relating to Max but denies murdering Max and Mason.

Snook, Tolliver, the 16-year-old boy and the 17-year-old boy are charged with murdering Mason, together with the 15-year-old boy, on January 27 this year.

Snook, Tolliver and the three teenage boys are charged with murdering Max on the same date.

The trial continues.