The teenage murderers of 16-year-old Max Dixon and 15-year-old Mason Rist have been sentenced to life in prison.
Riley Tolliver, aged 18 of Weston-super-Mare, Kodishai Wescott, aged 17 of Hartcliffe, and a 16 and 15-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were all sentenced to life in prison at Bristol Crown Court on today (Thursday 19 December).
The sentence comes after a jury found them guilty of killing Max and Mason (pictured below) in Ilminster Avenue, in Knowle, Bristol, on Saturday 27 January this year.
The youngest offender, who was 14 at the time, pleaded guilty to murdering Mason Rist before the trial.
The attack followed an incident at an address in Hartcliffe, when three unknown assailants, armed with weapons, threw bricks at the windows and damaged the doors with machetes.
The four teenagers, seeking retribution for the attack, called upon 45-year-old Antony Snook, of Hartcliffe, to drive them around to locate the offenders and get revenge.
During the six-week trial, the jury were told how Snook, who was sentenced last month to life in prison with a minimum of 38 years, drove the ‘pack’ from Hartcliffe to Knowle West as they went ‘hunting’.
The four defendants were described as being ‘armed to the teeth’ by Lead Prosecutor Ray Tully KC during the trial, with machetes and a baseball bat.
Two of the weapons, which were shown to the jury in court, were 48cm and 51cm in length.
A statement from Mason’s mum, Nikki Knight, was read out in court during the sentencing. It read: “Mason was my youngest son… living at home together, we always have fun and good banter, he would make fun of me and wind me up about things. We would banter back and forth, taking the mick out of each other and having a laugh.
Mason with his mother Nikki Knight and his cousin.
“Mason was also my friend, I trusted him and always knew he wouldn’t tell other people the things I told him. I’m always looking at the door, checking the locks and trying to do all I can to feel safe again. I do these things while still expecting Mason to walk through the door, and come home to me.
“I wonder how much Mason suffered, did he feel pain, did he fight back, did he go to be with Max, did they talk to each other, did he run away, did he know he was stabbed, did he know what to do.
“Mason used to say he was the man of the house, he wanted to protect me, but I now feel I failed to protect him. I always imagined we would live together forever.”
Max’s mum, Leanne Ekland, read a statement out in court. She said: “Max was a 16-year-old boy exploring and figuring out what he wanted to do in life. Max was a big character with a happy and joyful look on life, he was funny, kind and caring.
Max with his mother Leanne Ekland.
“He was a huge part of the family and was very popular among his friends. We were very close; he was my boy. As much as I know Max would want me to carry on with life, it’s really not that easy as he was one of my reasons for living my life.
“My son didn’t deserve to die, Mason didn’t deserve to die, and our family don’t deserve to have to go through this but due to your actions that night, two families have been destroyed and there is no justification for that.”
The Honourable Mrs Justice May waivered the automatic anonymity for one of the juvenile defendants, Kodishai Wescott. However, the two youngest offenders cannot be named due to their ages.
Mrs Justice May said Max and Mason were ‘tragically in the wrong place, at the wrong time’.
She recognised the grief both families ‘suffer and will continue to suffer’, adding the boys were from families who loved them ‘very much’.
Senior Investigating Officer Det Supt Gary Haskins, from the Major Crime Investigation Team (MCIT), described the four as ‘vicious’ in their attack on Max and Mason.
He added: “There are no winners in today’s sentence. Five people, including three children, have been jailed for life and two beautiful, innocent boys who had gone to get pizza and play video games have been taken far too soon. Their families will forever feel and mourn their loss.
“No crime will ever justify the horrific actions committed by these defendants. They were relentless in their attempts to locate those responsible and then they were brutal in their attack.
“Max and Mason knew nothing of the earlier incident in Hartcliffe and they are completely innocent in this case. The defendants sought them out, believing them to be responsible for the earlier incident, chased them down in a savage manner, and then attacked before fleeing.
“They may not all have delivered the fatal blow, but their actions before, during and after the incident speak volumes about their involvement, which is why we proceeded with a joint enterprise case.”
All four defendants were given two life sentences, one for each victim, and given a minimum term to serve before they could apply for parole. The minimum terms were as follows:
Riley Tolliver: 23 years 47 days minimum
Kodishai Wescott: 23 years 44 days minimum
16-year-old boy: 18 years 44 days minimum
15-year-old boy: 15 years 226 days minimum
To read more about Antony Snook’s sentencing last month, click here, or to read about the two people jailed for assisting an offender on Tuesday (17 December), click here.
