Four Teenagers Sentenced to Life for Bristol Knife Murders in Mistaken Identity Case

Two best friends, Max Dixon and Mason Rist, were killed in a 33-second machete attack driven by a postcode rivalry.

Max Dixon, 16, and Mason Rist, 15, were fatally stabbed in Bristol in January 2024 after being wrongly identified as responsible for a prior brick attack.
The attackers, aged 15 to 18, were armed with machetes and a baseball bat, and were driven to the scene by 45-year-old Antony Snook, who received a life sentence with a minimum term of 38 years.
The four teenagers were sentenced to life imprisonment, with minimum terms ranging from 15 to 23 years, following their conviction for murder at Bristol Crown Court.
Victim impact statements from the boys' families highlighted the devastating emotional toll, with Mason's sister confronting the killers in court with her brother's ashes and handprint.
Max's mother, Leanne Ekland, has since launched an anti-knife crime initiative and called for more parental accountability and education to address the root causes of violence.