Group was ‘armed to the teeth’ looking for revenge when boys murdered, jury told

Five radical went retired successful a car “armed to the teeth” looking for revenge aft a location was damaged, and murdered 2 teenagers successful a lawsuit of mistaken identity, a assemblage has been told.

Mason Rist, 15, and Max Dixon, 16, suffered fatal stab wounds erstwhile they were attacked by 4 teenagers successful the Knowle West country of Bristol successful January this year.

The 2 boys, who were adjacent friends, had been wrongly identified arsenic being liable for bricks being thrown astatine a location successful the neighbouring Hartcliffe territory earlier that evening, Bristol Crown Court heard.

Antony Snook, 45, Riley Tolliver, 18, and 3 boys aged 15, 16, and 17, who cannot beryllium named due to the fact that of their age, are connected proceedings charged with murdering Max and Mason.

Ray Tully KC, prosecuting, told the assemblage successful his closing code that it is the Crown’s lawsuit the murders were carried retired by the 5 defendants arsenic portion of a “joint enterprise”.

“We accidental astatine the extremity of the case, having heard each of the evidence, that grounds demonstrates that each of the 5 defendants successful the dock is blameworthy of the execution of some Max and Mason,” helium said.

“There is simply a glue that links them unneurotic and involves each of the idiosyncratic defendants connected the night.

“There are brought unneurotic by the tendency for revenge that arose from what they each knew had happened that evening astatine the spot successful Hartcliffe.

“Each of these 4 boys are armed. Max and Mason are the absorption of their attraction and are adjacent targets for the four.

“None of that is astonishing due to the fact that it is simply a nonstop effect to what happened earlier.

“If determination is going to beryllium revenge oregon retaliation it is going to beryllium against the radical who they deliberation is liable for the onslaught connected that house.”

Mr Tully said the 4 younger defendants were each armed, portion Snook was the operator who took them to and from the country of the onslaught successful Ilminster Avenue connected January 27.

“They intended arsenic a group, we suggest, that some boys should beryllium caused truly superior injury. Why other would they beryllium taking weapons?” helium asked.

“It is associated determination to enactment each other. Each has each other’s back.

“They person a getaway operator with the motor running, moving his mode down the road, enabling them to get distant quickly.

“They had a shared communal extremity and that was to onslaught some boys with the weapons they brought with them to astatine the precise slightest origin them truly superior harm.”

Mr Tully suggested the assemblage whitethorn beryllium proceeding from those representing the defendants that the volition was to “frighten the daylights retired of them”.

But helium said this could beryllium rejected due to the fact that immoderate of the defendants could beryllium seen connected CCTV approaching Max and Mason with their weapons hidden down their backs.

“Why would they fell the limb down their backmost if it was to frighten them?” helium asked.

“They kept the weapons retired of show until the past moment, and that tells you thing astir the intentions of those defendants.

“The associated purpose was revenge, and that revenge would mean the usage of superior violence.”

Snook has antecedently told the assemblage that accusations helium was portion of a revenge ngo were “utter rubbish” and that helium thought helium was driving his 4 co-accused to a harmless location pursuing the earlier onslaught and did not cognize immoderate of them was armed.

Mr Tully described Snook’s relationship to the assemblage arsenic “little much than axenic fiction”.

“When you propulsion isolated the threads it precise rapidly unravels,” helium said.

“He drove a carful of teenagers equipped to the teeth to Knowle West. They are sharking astir for targets.”

A CCTV camera connected Mason’s location captured the onslaught which lasted conscionable 33 seconds – including Snook’s Audi stopping, 4 teenagers allegedly jumping out, attacking the 2 friends, returning to the car and it driving off.

Mason and Max suffered superior stabbing injuries and some died successful infirmary successful the aboriginal hours of January 28.

Earlier, proceedings justice Mrs Justice May told the jurors successful ineligible directions that they indispensable see the lawsuit against each suspect separately connected each of the counts.

As good arsenic murder, the assemblage tin instrumentality alternate verdicts of manslaughter.

Mrs Justice May said that, successful the instrumentality of associated enterprise, it is imaginable for idiosyncratic to beryllium blameworthy of execution adjacent if they did not inflict the fatal injuries themselves, arsenic agelong arsenic the prosecution could marque the assemblage definite that they had encouraged oregon assisted those who did.

“The prosecution indispensable amusement that the acts of assistance and encouragement took spot earlier oregon during the attack,” she said.

“The prosecution lawsuit is that this is simply a associated attack, each of the defendants participated by encouraging, assisting oregon participating successful the attack.”

The 15-year-old lad connected proceedings has admitted murdering Mason but denies murdering Max.

The 17-year-old has admitted manslaughter relating to Max but denies murdering Max and Mason.

Snook, Tolliver, the 16-year-old lad and the 17-year-old are charged with murdering Mason, unneurotic with the 15-year-old boy, connected January 27 this year.

Snook, Tolliver and the 3 teenage boys are charged with murdering Max connected the aforesaid date.