Teenagers Offer Apologies for Double Murder

Three of the teenagers responsible for the murder of two innocent boys in an incident of mistaken identity during a revenge attack have expressed regret for their actions, a court has been informed. Max Dixon, 16, and Mason Rist, 15, were fatally stabbed by a group of teenagers wielding machetes in Knowle West, Bristol, on January 27. Antony Snook, 45, Riley Tolliver, 18, and three boys aged 17, 16, and 15 were all found guilty of the murders last month. Snook received a life sentence on November 19, while the other defendants returned to court on Monday for the commencement of a two-day sentencing hearing. It was disclosed in court that the convicted teenagers had all conveyed remorse for their conduct since being taken into custody. Max and Mason were killed after being incorrectly identified as having been involved in an incident where bricks were thrown at a house in Hartcliffe earlier the same evening. During the trial, it was revealed that the four teenagers had encountered the pair of best friends while Snook was driving them around Knowle West, seeking “revenge” following the attack on the house. Ignatius Hughes KC, representing Tolliver, informed trial judge Mrs Justice May that his client had only begun to learn to read and write since being remanded into custody. He then presented a brief letter penned by his client, stating: “To judge and families, I just started to learn to read and write. I would like to say how deeply sorry I am.” “I should have never got into that car. I am sorry for the pain and sorrow, and I will carry this for the rest of my life.” Speaking on behalf of the 15-year-old defendant, Kate Brunner KC informed the court: “He is sorry beyond words for what he has done.” She further stated that he had experienced “appalling neglect” during his childhood, noting: “There is a shocking fact that empathy seems to be a new concept to him.” Psychiatric evaluations presented to the court indicated that the teenager possessed a mental age of eight-and-a-half, and was deficient in the capacity to make reasoned decisions or comprehend the repercussions of his behaviour. “Rather than being socialised in a normal way, he was indoctrinated into a horrifying reality where children were regularly armed with ferocious weapons and violence was normalised,” she said. Christopher Quinlan KC, counsel for the 17-year-old, characterized his client’s formative years as “bleak and desolate” and asserted that he had been subjected to “malign influences.” “Where were the adults in his life?” he said. “The one thing he lacked was structure, care and love.” He conveyed that the teenager “thinks about the harm he’s caused the families every day.” The court proceedings are 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 bears no responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available.