The murders of Max and Mason: A timeline of the night in Hartcliffe and Knowle West
It was a night that sent shockwaves across the city of Bristol. Two young boys murdered in an attack lasting little more than 30 seconds, just metres from one of their homes.
Max Dixon, 16, and Mason Rist, 15, were killed with machetes in a case of mistaken identity.
On 27 January, the two close friends had just met at Mason’s home in Knowle West to spend the remainder of their Saturday night together.
But just moments after they left Mason’s home, a group of four teenagers jumped out of an Audi A2 and attacked them.
Anthony Snook, 45, was driving the car with 18-year-old Riley Tolliver and three teenage boys - aged 15, 16 and 17 - inside. All four have now been found guilty of the murders of both Max and Mason by way of joint enterprise, following a trial that ended on 15 November.
During their case at Bristol Crown Court, the jury heard they had gone out looking for “revenge” after an incident in Hartcliffe.
Much of the night, including the fatal attack, was captured on CCTV. Here’s what happened before, during and after the boys’ murders. Here is how it unfolded:
The Hartcliffe Attack
Watch the moment a house in Hartcliffe was attacked, sparking a hunt that led to two murders
At 10.07pm on Saturday 17 January, three young men attacked a house in Hartcliffe.
For legal reasons, ITV News cannot name the street.
The men responsible for the attack were carrying weapons and threw bricks at the property. One woman inside was injured.
Within an hour, three figures are captured on CCTV leaving the property. The first is a 16-year-old boy, he is followed by 45-year-old Antony Snook and then finally a 15-year-old boy.
Snook’s Audi A2 is then seen driving away.
The drive to Knowle
The five defendants now convicted of murder are seen driving to Knowle in a bid to seek revenge
The Audi A2 is then captured on CCTV driving from Hartcliffe to Knowle. During the trial, the jury heard there has been much rivalry between the two parts of South Bristol.
By 11.04pm, the car has arrived in Knowle. It is seen driving by shops on Newquay Road before continuing around the area.
During the murder trial, the court heard the group described as being on the “hunt” for “revenge”.
At 11.11pm, the car is captured on Filwood Broadway - half a mile from the murder scene.
Max arrives at Mason’s home
Nearby 16-year-old Mason Rist was at his home in Ilminster Avenue waiting for one of his close friends, Max Dixon, to arrive.
Max, who was 15 years old, arrives at his friend’s home and knocks on the door.
Just out of shot of CCTV, Snook’s Audi passes left to right. The prosecution said it was around this moment that Snook and his passengers assumed Max and Mason were the people responsible for the Hartcliffe attack.
Mason answers his front door and both he and Max walk out of the property onto Ilminster Avenue.
The 33-second attack
Watch as CCTV captures the moment Max and Mason were attacked by four teenagers in the street
Snook remained in the Audi but the four teenagers, armed with fearsome weapons, get out and are seen looking for the boys they’ve just seen.
One CCTV clip shows Max and Mason obscured behind a car before they start running.
Mason was then chased by the 14-year-old in the group while Max was chased by a 15-year-old.
Both boys were fatally stabbed. One woman who lived nearby was driving home and witnessed the murder play out in front of her car. It lasted just 33 seconds.
The getaway
CCTV footage shows as the teenagers return the car driven by Snook and make their escape
The group of teenagers returned to the Audi A2 and Snook acted as their getaway driver.
It was not long before the car arrived back at the Hartcliffe property. Tolliver and the 14-year-old have been dropped off.
The 15 and 16 year olds get out of the car before Snook parks it.
Four hours after the killing, the 15-year-old was seen eating a McDonald’s breakfast as he walked down the street.
Snook and the 15-year-old were arrested hours after the attack with the other two teens arrested in the following days.