Court Hears Accused Intended to ‘Terrify’ Victims in Fatal Stabbing Case

A barrister informed a jury that a teenager, who was armed with a knife during an alleged murderous assault, aimed to “terrify” two boys rather than to kill them. In January, Max Dixon, 16, and Mason Rist, 15, sustained fatal stab wounds during an attack by four teenagers in Knowle West, Bristol, which was attributed to mistaken identity. Anthony Snook, 45, Riley Tolliver, 18, along with three boys aged 15, 16, and 17, are currently facing trial at Bristol Crown Court on charges of murder. Earlier on the evening of the incident, Max and Mason were mistakenly identified as having been responsible for throwing bricks at a residence in Hartcliffe. The assault occurred after they departed from Mason’s residence on Ilminster Avenue. A CCTV camera located on Mason’s house recorded the attack, which spanned 33 seconds. The video evidence depicted Snook’s Audi car coming to a halt, with four teenagers reportedly exiting the vehicle and assaulting the two boys, prior to re-entering the car and driving away. During her closing address to the jury, Anna Vigars KC, counsel for the 16-year-old, stated that the teenager harbored no intent to kill or inflict harm upon Max or Mason. She proposed that the presence of a weapon was intended to intimidate those who were responsible for the assault on the house. She stated, “He could have intended to terrify people.” “To do that you need a really large knife.” “It is what you carry if you wanted to create deep terror and fear – making them fear for their lives.” “Make them fear about going to that property in Hartcliffe ever again.” Christopher Quinlan KC, who represents the 17-year-old, also addressed the court. His client has admitted to the manslaughter of Max but has denied causing injury to Mason. He asserted, “We say when you divorce Mason’s movements from the 17-year-old then the evidence is not there that he did stab him or make contact with him.” “He accepts what he did as far as Max is concerned.” “If there was a plan for serious violence, would he have left his home with CCTV running and got into an identifiable car?” “It speaks of spontaneity and not a planned mission.” He questioned, “Could it show that what happened started and then spiralled well beyond what any of them intended?” Ignatius Hughes KC, counsel for Riley Tolliver, stated that Tolliver had “set the tone” with his assault but was not in a position to assist or encourage the individual who inflicted the fatal stab wounds on Max and Mason. He remarked, “You can see he assaulted Mason with what the prosecution accepted was a bat, not a sword, or a zombie knife.” He added, “By swinging the bat at one or both of the boys, he has committed a common assault.” He commented, “A baseball bat is a very different choice of weapon to go out with than a great big zombie knife.” “That may be a more important indicator of his level of intention. You can cause really serious harm with a bat. You can take a head shot.” He concluded, “There is no injury to the head of either Max or Mason.” The trial is ongoing. 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 disclaims responsibility for the content of external sites. Information regarding their approach to external linking is available.