Teenagers who murdered Max Dixon and Mason Rist in Bristol detained for life
Four teenagers who murdered two boys in Bristol in a case of mistaken identity have been detained for life.
Riley Tolliver, 18, a 16-year-old boy, a 17-year-old boy, and getaway driver Antony Snook, 45, were convicted of the murders of Mason Rist, 15, and 16-year-old Max Dixon in November.
A 15-year-old boy was also found guilty of the murder of Max after previously pleading guilty to the murder of Mason.
Tolliver was jailed for life at Bristol Crown Court today and will serve at least 23 years and 47 days.
The judge also handed the 17-year-old – Kodishai Wescott, who was named for the first time in court – a life sentence, with a minimum term of 23 years and 44 days.
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Mason Rist and Max Dixon. Pic: Handout/Avon and Somerset Police
The 16-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was detained for life, and will serve at least 18 years and 44 days.
The 15-year-old, who also cannot be named, was handed a life sentence, too. He will serve a minimum term of 15 years and 229 days.
Body-worn footage of the arrest of Riley Tolliver. Pic: Avon and Somerset Police/PA
Mrs Justice May told the 15-year-old and 16-year-old youths as she sentenced them: “The boys you killed were Mason Rist and Max Dixon. They were your age. They had done nothing wrong.
“Max and Mason’s families must go on without them in a different way. Your lives will change too. As Mason’s sister said, there are no winners here.”
Earlier, Chloe Rist, Mason’s sister, brought his ashes into court and held them as she read a victim impact statement to his killers before they were sentenced.
At the end of her statement, she told them: “This is Mason’s ashes and this is what you’ve done. If anyone is upset about me bringing them to court today, that is all I have left of him.
“I shouldn’t have to look at my brother’s bone fragments either. I also have a piece of his hair which has his blood on it, if you want to see it?
“This is my dead brother’s handprint. Another thing you’ve done. I should be able to hold my brother’s hand, not look at it on a piece of paper. This is all I have left of him.”
As Ms Rist showed the defendants the items they remained expressionless in the dock.
Antony Snook. Pic: Avon and Somerset Police/PA
Snook, who acted as a getaway driver for the killers, was jailed for 38 years last month.
During the trial, Bristol Crown Court heard how the group wrongly believed their victims, who had gone out to get pizza, were behind an attack on a house with bricks in the Hartcliffe area of the city earlier in the evening of Saturday 27 January.
Mason Rist and Max Dixon. Pic: Avon and Somerset Police/PA
Max and Mason were chased and attacked with weapons, including machetes, a bat, and a sword.
The boys suffered “instant severe blood loss” after being stabbed and died of their wounds later that night in the Knowle West area.
The 33-second attack on the two boys was captured by a CCTV camera on Mason’s house.
The court heard the victims “had absolutely nothing to do with any earlier incident”.
On Tuesday Jamie Ogbourne, 27, and Bailey Wescott, 23, were each sentenced at Bristol Crown Court to five years and three months in jail for helping the teenagers after they committed the murders.
The court heard how the pair helped clean weapons used in the fatal attack, with Wescott lighting a fire to dispose of items and Ogbourne arranging taxis and a change of clothing for two of the teenage murderers.
Sir Keir Starmer says he has full confidence in Rachel Reeves after questions were raised about inaccuracies in her CV and her use of expenses in a previous job.
The chancellor has been accused by former employees of being involved in an “expenses scandal” while working at Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBOS) from 2006 to 2009, according to the BBC.
She has also been accused of saying she worked for the Bank of England for longer than she did.
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The prime minister said the chancellor can be trusted and has no concerns about her conduct, Number 10 said.
Ms Reeves’ spokesperson said she was “not aware of an investigation, nor was she interviewed”. Her lawyer has denied the allegations.
One ex-colleague said she nearly got sacked after an investigation into three senior managers accused of “signing off each other’s expenses”.
This included spending hundreds of pounds on handbags, perfume, earrings and wine for colleagues, including one gift for her boss.
A whistleblower said there was also concern about her spending on taxis and on a Christmas party.
In a Facebook group of former HBOS employees seen by the BBC, several people referred to Ms Reeves being investigated over her expenses spending.
Pic: Reuters
Sir Keir’s official spokesman said it was “correct” the prime minister has “no concerns whatsoever” about the chancellor’s conduct and has confidence in her.
He also said: “I can’t speak to her time prior to government.
“The PM works hand in hand and has full faith in the chancellor.”
Sir Keir later said she has “dealt with any issues that arise” from questions about her career before becoming an MP.
Reeves lawyers deny wrongdoing
A spokesperson for Ms Reeves said: “Rachel is proud of the work she did at HBOS and the teams that she led, it is 16 years since she left the bank and the first time she was made aware of these claims was when approached by journalists.
“She was not aware of an investigation nor was she interviewed, and she did not face any disciplinary action on this or any other matters. All expenses were submitted and signed off in the proper way.
“Several former colleagues from her time at the bank, including HBOS’ former HR business partner, have corroborated this account.
“Rachel left HBOS in 2009 on good terms.”
Ms Reeves’s lawyer while she was leaving HBOS denied she had done anything wrong, saying she left HBOS with a “standard-style agreement” after a “mutually agreed exit was made during the bank’s restructure”.
David Sorensen, a managing partner at Morrish Solicitors, added: “My clear understanding at the time was that my client, who was in a senior role, left on good terms when HBOS plc was acquired in 2009, as evidenced by the payments made to her, the retention of her company car and other benefits for a six-month period, and a favourable reference.
“Absolutely no allegations of wrongdoing or misconduct were mentioned by the HBOS HR team during this process.”
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LinkedIn dates questioned
Questions have also been raised about Ms Reeves’ online CV, as her LinkedIn profile said she stayed at the Bank of England nine months longer than she actually did, the BBC has reported.
She has publicly said she spent a decade there, but her LinkedIn profile claimed she worked at the bank from September 2000 to December 2006.
However, she is understood to have left by March 2006, when she started working at HBOS.
That means she spent five and a half years at the bank, including nearly a year studying.
Ms Reeves’ spokesman, in a comment given to the BBC, said the dates on her LinkedIn were inaccurate and blamed an administrative error by her team.
They said the chancellor had not seen it before it was published.
The chancellor’s LinkedIn profile has now been updated to reflect she left the bank in March 2006.
Ms Reeves has repeatedly said she spent 10 years at the Bank of England, citing her time as an economist there as why she can be trusted with the UK’s finances.
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