Sentencing of double murderers hears of ‘rivalry’ between areas of Bristol
Max Dixon and Mason Rist, who were best friends, were attacked in a case of mistaken identity.
The sister of a 15-year-old boy who was murdered alongside his best friend in a case of mistaken identity brought his ashes, hair and handprint to show his killers in court – telling them “this is what you’ve done”.
Mason Rist, 15, and Max Dixon, 16, died from stab wounds after being chased by the four armed teenagers in the Knowle West area of Bristol at about 11pm on January 27 this year.
Their attackers – Riley Tolliver, 18, and three boys aged 15, 16, and 17, who cannot be named due to their age – had been driven to Ilminster Avenue by Antony Snook, 45.
All five were convicted of two counts of murder last month following a six-week trial at Bristol Crown Court. Snook was later jailed for life and ordered to serve a minimum of 38 years.
Mrs Justice May will sentence Tolliver and the three teenage defendants on Thursday afternoon.
On Thursday morning, victim personal statements written by the mothers and sisters of Max and Mason were read to the court.
Chloe Rist, the sister of Mason, described how he had been diagnosed with autism at the age of three which meant the family were protective of him as he was “vulnerable and harmless”.
She told how the devastating impact of his death on her family, including the “ripple effect” of her grandmother suffering a heart attack and her baby being born prematurely.
At the conclusion of her statement, she held up packets containing Mason’s ashes and hair, as well as a print taken of his hand after his death.
Ms Rist told the defendants: “This is Mason’s ashes and this is what you’ve done. If anyone is upset about me bringing them to court today, that is all I have left of him.
“I shouldn’t have to look at my brother’s bone fragments either. I also have a piece of his hair which has his blood on it, if you want to see it?
“This is my dead brother’s handprint. Another thing you’ve done. I should be able to hold my brother’s hand, not look at it on a piece of paper. This is all I have left of him.
“I hope your sorrys are genuinely but unfortunately I can’t be sure.
“I hope you don’t forget Mason because he didn’t deserve any of this.”
The defendants remained expressionless in the dock as Ms Rist showed them the items.
Previously, the court heard how Snook and the armed teenagers set out for revenge after masked youths wielding machetes threw bricks at a property in the Hartcliffe area, injuring a woman.
Max and Mason, who had been best friends since attending nursery together, were heading out for a pizza when they were spotted by those in Snook’s car and wrongly identified as being connected to that attack.
Tolliver, who had a baseball bat, and the three teenagers armed with machetes, jumped out of the car and chased after the two boys.
Within 33 seconds, the attackers had returned to Snook’s Audi Q2 motability car – leaving Max and Mason lying fatally injured on the street.
They were both pronounced dead in hospital in the early hours of January 28.
On Thursday, Anna Vigars KC, representing the 16-year-old defendant, said his IQ is on the second percentile and he has clinical indicators for mental health disorders.
Ms Vigars said: “As well as what was going on within his home, he has faced community tensions from before an age of knowing better. Rivalries between areas of Bristol which he was born into.
“He was simply, by virtue of where he was born, an inheritor of some appalling division and rivalry between our city.”
On Monday, barristers for Tolliver and the 15-year-old boy relayed apologies to the families of Max and Mason at Bristol Crown Court.
Ignatius Hughes KC, representing Tolliver, described how his client had only started to read and write since being remanded into custody.
Mr Hughes said Tolliver had written a short letter addressed to the judge and families of Max and Mason.
Printed and in a mix of capitals and lower case, Tolliver wrote: “To judge and families, I just started to learn to read and write. I would like to say how deeply sorry I am.
“I should have never got into that car. I am sorry for the pain and sorrow, and I will carry this for the rest of my life.
“Deepest sorrow, Riley Tolliver.”
Kate Brunner KC, representing the 15-year-old defendant, also told the court: “He is sorry beyond words for what he has done.
“He has written to the court, and it is a genuine expression of how he feels.
“The letter was written with the help of a support worker because he could not have done it on his own.”
She said the boy was “indoctrinated into a horrifying reality where children were regularly armed with ferocious weapons” rather than receiving a normal upbringing.
Psychiatrists found the 15-year-old had a mental age of eight-and-a-half, and lacked the skills to make rational choices and understand the consequences of his actions, Ms Brunner added.
Christopher Quinlan KC, representing the 17-year-old, described his client’s upbringing as “bleak and desolate” and said he had suffered from “malign influences”.
“The one thing he lacked was structure, care and love,” Mr Quinlan said.
He added that the teenager “thinks about the harm he’s caused the families every day”.
On Tuesday, Jamie Ogbourne, 27, of Hartcliffe, and Bailey Westcott, 23, of Whitchurch, were both jailed for five years and three months for helping the teenagers after they committed the murders.
Ogbourne and Westcott, who previously pleaded guilty to charges of assisting an offender, were sentenced at Bristol Crown Court by Mrs Justice May.
The court heard how the pair helped to clean weapons used in the fatal attack.
Westcott lit a fire to dispose of items linked to the attack, while Ogbourne arranged taxis and a change of clothing for two of the teenage murderers.
Mrs Justice May will sentence the four teenagers at Bristol Crown Court on Thursday.
