Four teenagers have been detained for life for the murders of friends Max Dixon and Mason Rist.
Rist, 15, and 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,Kodishai Westcott, 17, and two boys aged 15 and 16 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.
Mason Rist and Max Dixon
PA
Justice May detained the 15-year-old boy for life with a minimum term of 15 years and 229 days, and the 16-year-old boy for life with a minimum term of 18 years and 44 days.
The judge told the two anonymous defendants: “You were part of a group who attacked and killed two boys. The boys you killed were Mason Rist and Max Dixon. They were your age. They had done nothing wrong. They didn’t attack the house, they had nothing to do with it.
“You have heard how much pain you have caused to their families. Max and Mason’s families must go on without them in a different way. Your lives will change too. As Mason’s sister said, there are no winners here.”
Tolliver was jailed for life at Bristol Crown Court today and will serve at least 23 years and 47 days.
The judge also handed the 17-year-old, Kodishai Westcott, who was named for the first time in court – a life sentence, with a minimum term of 23 years and 44 days.
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Court artist sketch of Riley Tolliver, 18, Kodishai Westcott and teenagers aged 15 and 16 during their sentencing hearing
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Bristol Crown 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.
Rist and Dixon, 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.
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.
Chloe 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 Chloe showed them the items.