CCTV of house attacked by masked gang led to ‘revenge’ killing of two innocent teenagers, court hears

CCTV footage of a house attacked by a masked gang led to a “revenge” attack on two boys wrongly suspected of being the perpetrators, a court has heard.

Mason Rist, 15, and Max Dixon, 16, were fatally attacked on Ilminster Avenue in the Knowle West area of ​​Bristol on the evening of January 27 this year.

The friends were stabbed to death after being wrongly identified as the culprits in an attack on a house in the Hartcliffe area earlier in the evening, it is claimed.

Five defendants, including Riley Tolliver, 18, and Anthony Snook, 45, as well as three teenagers aged 15, 16 and 17, are on trial for murder at Bristol Crown Court.

A jury heard how the defendants drove to the nearby suburb of Knowle, “equipped” to take revenge.

CCTV shows men wielding machetes outside the property, throwing bricks at windows and injuring a woman inside the house.

CCTV footage shown to the jury today showed three men brandishing machetes outside the property in Bristol.

Mason Rist, 15, was stabbed to death just steps from his family’s home

Max Dixon, 16, was also killed in the attack, which lasted just 33 seconds.

The jury was told there had been “incidents” in the past between the Hartcliffe BS13 and Knowle BS4 postcodes which are believed to have sparked the feud.

Prosecutor Ray Tully KC said: “Three people had attended the address and were responsible for attacking him by throwing bricks at the house.

“They had broken windows and a mother had been injured by bricks being thrown.”

He said the defendants then got into a car driven by Snook and went looking for those responsible.

He added: “They were equipped and had some pretty formidable weapons with them.

“As the five left – they were on the hunt – looking for the people they thought were responsible for the attack on the house.

“They set out together on a common mission – this common mission was a mission of revenge.”

Mr Tully said that while driving down a street in Knowle, they passed Max and Mason coming out of the house.

A mother was injured in the attack in the Hartcliffe area of ​​Bristol on January 27.

The jury was told there had been “incidents” in the past between the Hartcliffe BS13 and Knowle BS4 postcodes, which is believed to have sparked the feud.

Mason Rist, 15, and Max Dixon, 16, were fatally attacked after being wrongly identified as the culprits in an attack.

CCTV footage captured by a camera at Mason’s house shows people in an Audi Q2 car attacking Mason and Max before getting back into the car and then driving away.

The clip, lasting two and a half minutes, was played to the jury at the trial of Snook, Tolliver and the three teenagers, which opened at Bristol Crown Court on Wednesday October 2.

Mr Tully said Snook was “waiting for them” and acted as their “getaway” driver.

He added: “They thought they had spotted the people they believed were responsible for the attack on the house – or at least linked to it in some way.

“They were completely wrong about that. Max and Mason had nothing to do with the attack on the property.”

Mason Rist and Max were both stabbed during the attack which lasted just 33 seconds.

Both suffered stab wounds which the court heard were “insurmountable” and died in hospital a short time later.

Mr Tully said Snook was “waiting for them” and acted as a “getaway” driver.

The jury heard the 15-year-old pleaded guilty to Mason’s murder but denied Max’s murder.

Another boy, 17, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Max Dixon, 16, but denied both murder charges. The other three defendants deny all charges.

Mr Tully added: “The prosecution case is that they acted jointly – they were all jointly responsible for what happened.

“In the street, each of them played a different role – but we say that they participated in the attacks together – and that they participated together, acting together.”

The trial continues.