Two Men Imprisoned for Concealing Murders of Teenagers Max Dixon and Mason Rist

Two individuals have received prison sentences for their involvement in concealing the murders of teenagers Max Dixon and Mason Rist. The two best friends were fatally attacked in January due to a case of mistaken identity. Bailey Wescott, aged 23, from Whitchurch, and Jamie Ogbourne, aged 27, from Hartcliffe, each received a sentence of five years and three months at Bristol Crown Court. Both had previously pleaded guilty to two charges of assisting an offender. The families of Max, 16, and Mason, 15, were observed weeping in court as the judge delivered the sentences. Previously, in November, Antony Snook, 45, was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 38 years for the murders. Riley Tolliver, 18, and three other male youths, aged 17, 16, and 15, whose identities are legally protected, are scheduled for sentencing on Thursday. Max and Mason were mistakenly identified as masked individuals who had previously thrown bricks at a residence in the rival Hartcliffe area on the same evening. Surveillance camera footage presented to the court depicted Wescott and Ogbourne attending a fire they had ignited to dispose of clothing items associated with the assault. Additionally, testimony in court indicated that Ogbourne provided one of the boys with a burner phone to facilitate ongoing communication. During the sentencing of the two individuals, Ms Justice May stated: “The fire was to destroy evidence, which would have had DNA and blood from Max and Mason.” Speaking directly to Ogbourne, she remarked: “You both destroyed key evidence, giving money and a burner phone to [the defendants]. “You gave assistance to two offenders, not just one.” She continued: “I reject the accounts you gave to the police. “Bailey Wescott, you haven’t been charged with murder, but having seen all the evidence, I am sure you were well aware it was a revenge trip.” “You sent messages and you had influence over boys much younger than you.” “What did you do to stop it? Nothing.” Ms Justice May further commented: “In my view it would be hard to find a more serious example of assisting an offender than this.” Det Supt Gary Haskins, the Senior Investigating Officer from the major crime investigation team at Avon and Somerset Police, stated: “Ogbourne and Wescott, two adults, came to the aid of the four teenage defendants and attempted to cover the murderers’ tracks by cleaning the weapons and disposing of clothes.” He added: “They knew what they were doing and the implications of their actions, they showed no regard for the lives lost by attempting to help the defendants get away with their crimes.” “I hope their sentence shows the severity of what they did and why we will make every effort to hunt out anyone who aids and abets crime to take place.” For updates, follow BBC Bristol on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Story ideas can be submitted via email or WhatsApp at 0800 313 4630. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available.