Four teens accused of murder of Max and Mason will not give evidence

The four teenagers accused of the double murder of Max Dixon and Mason Rist will not give evidence in their own defence, a jury at Bristol Crown Court has been told.

At the end of three days of evidence and cross-examination of Antony Snook, who the court heard drove the car that took the four teenagers from Hartcliffe to Knowle West on the night of the attack, the jury was told that was the end of the evidence in the case.

The judge in the case, Mrs Justice May, then went through the formal process of asking each of the counsel for the four teenagers - Riley Tolliver, 18, and a 17-year-old, a 16-year-old and a 15-year-old, who can’t be named because of their ages - whether they had explained to them the law regarding not giving evidence, and each said that they had.

The jury was then told that the case would now move to summing up, with Ray Tully KC, summing up the case for the prosecution, and each of the counsels for the five defendants summing up their cases, before the judge summarises the evidence and directs the jury on the points of law in the case.

All five defendants have been charged with two counts of murder relating to the deaths of Max Dixon, 16, and 15-year-old Mason Rist, who were attacked in Ilminster Avenue, Knowle West, at around 11.15pm on Saturday, January 27 this year, and died just after midnight in hospital.

Read more: Double murder accused driver 'left boy to die in the road'

Updates: Double murder trial defence continues

Antony Snook, 45, Riley Tolliver, 18 and the unnamed 16-year-old all deny both counts of murder. The 17-year-old denies both counts of murder, but has admitted to the manslaughter of Max Dixon, while the 15-year-old denies murdering Max, but has pleaded guilty to the murder of Mason Rist.

Earlier today, Antony Snook’s version of events was challenged by Mr Tully, prosecuting, who accused him of leaving Mason ‘to die in the road’. Mr Tully said Snook knew all along that the plan was to drive to Knowle West in revenge for an attack on a house in Hartcliffe earlier in the evening - an attack, it is agreed, that Max and Mason had nothing to do with.

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