Families of murdered Bristol teens speak of their loss after five found guilty

The families of murdered best friends Max Dixon and Mason Rist have spoken of their ordeal after a month-long court case ended with all five people accused of their murders found guilty.

Max, 16, and Mason, 15, were brutally stabbed to death by a gang of four teenagers in a random attack outside Mason’s home in Knowle West that lasted just 30 seconds. The four teenagers, and the man who drove them to and from Ilminster Avenue were on a revenge mission after a house in nearby Hartcliffe was attacked - something Max and Mason had absolutely nothing to do with.

After Antony Snook, 45, from Dowling Road in Hartcliffe, and Riley Tolliver, 18, of Holts Way in Weston-super-Mare, were found guilty by a jury, along with three teenagers aged 15, 16 and 17, the families of both boys spoke of their loss and the ordeal they have been through since the moment of the attack on January 27 this year.

Outside court, surrounded by members of both families, Mason's uncle David Knight thanked the police. "They promised right at the beginning that they would do everything in their power, and they have - they got them," he said. "We would like to say thank you as a family to our liaison officers Matt and Anthony, that have been beside us this whole time and they’ve been brilliant. We’d like to thank Ray Tully and his team," he added.

Mr Knight also thanked the jury, who sat through the month-long trial, including repeated viewings of the moment Mason was stabbed, beaten with a baseball bat and then stabbed again - sickening footage taken from the CCTV camera on the front of his own house. "I'd like to thank the jury for having to see what we’ve seen, and no one should ever see any of that, and we thank them for coming to the correct decision as far as we are concerned. We want to thank the public all over Bristol, all over the country who have seen what’s happened to those two innocent boys that have helped along the way.

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“Our family, like most families, is like a big jigsaw puzzle and Mason was a massive part of that jigsaw and basically that piece of the puzzle has now been destroyed and will never be replaced, and will always be in our hearts," he added. "Mason was a real quiet boy who would never hurt a fly. He was just so loving and caring and everyone who knew him knew what a massive Liverpool fan he was, and the Playstation - it was basically his life. All I can say is that these animals took away a son, a brother, a nephew, an uncle, and a grandchild, and we must now navigate the rest of our lives without our puzzle piece," he added.

In a statement from Mason's family, released by Avon and Somerset police, they added: "Mason was lovely and innocent. It is impossible to put into words how we feel. This whole process has been incredibly hard and hearing what we have heard, what happened to him, it is horrible to think about Mason’s last moments.

“From the bottom of our hearts, we want to thank everyone who worked so hard on this case. The investigation team for being so hard working and dedicated, we appreciate it wasn’t easy working endless hours and under pressure but it is because of you we got this result,” they added. "The family wouldn’t have been able to get through this unbearable time without having the best family liaison officers assigned to us. They have gone above and beyond to ensure we are always updated, guided and supported throughout this awful process,” they said.

Members of Mason’s family were in court, in the public gallery above the courtroom, for every single day of the trial, as were Max’s family, particularly his mum Leanne Ekland. In a statement, Max’s family spoke of the friendship between the two boys, and their loss after Max went out to call for Mason to head to a takeaway on that Saturday evening.

“Max was a big character with a happy and joyful look on life,” Max’s family statement said. “He was funny, kind and caring. He was a huge part of the family and was very popular among his friends. He was full of life and had such a cheeky side, but was always respectful.

“The last six weeks have been emotionally draining. Today’s outcome doesn’t change the fact that two families go home without their boys. But we can now hopefully begin to process and remember them both and the happy memories both families have of Max and Mason.

“Max and Mason have known each other since nursery school and have always been in the same classes. We often joked it was a funny friendship as they were both so different but they bounced off each other and brought out the best in each other.

“We will miss everything about him. We are broken without him but he would want us to carry on and he wouldn’t want anyone to be down. We need to thank everyone that’s been involved in our case. We have so much respect for the hard work, dedication and support to our families. There are no words to express how thankful we are to everyone. We will be forever grateful to them,” they added.

Speaking outside court, Max's mum Leanne said: "I wish we didn't have to be here today, but we've got some sort of justice for our boys."

The five found guilty of both murders have been remanded in custody and will be sentenced next month. Det Supt Gary Haskins, who led an investigation team that involved 238 police officers and police staff at its height, interviewed 45 people and included 1,593 exhibits for the court case, said he was humbled by the families of the two boys.

“Firstly, I am humbled by the families’ strength, courage and dignity they have shown throughout this trial,” he said. “Family members have been in court every single day and have heard things no loved one should hear. These five people went out that night to seek revenge, and nothing will ever justify their actions against two boys who are so beautiful and innocent. The injuries those boys sustained were unsurvivable and I want to commend the officers, paramedics and members of the public for their efforts that night to provide first aid to Max and Mason.

“I also want to recognise the incredible work of my officers and staff within MCIT, and those from other departments within the organisation, who have helped bring this case to trial. This has been a huge investigation which has pooled resources from three different forces,” he added.

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