Boy, 15, admits murdering teenager outside his home

Mason (left) and Max (right) died after being stabbed in January

A 15-year-old boy has pleaded guilty to the murder of a teenager.

The boy, who cannot be named, has admitted murdering Mason Rist, 15, who died after being stabbed twice in an attack outside his home in Knowle West, Bristol, on 27 January.

Another boy, 17, has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Max Dixon, 16, who died after being stabbed once in the same attack.

They are among five people who are on trial at Bristol Crown Court charged with the double murder of Mason and Max - the other defendants are Antony Snook, 45, Riley Tolliver, 18, and a 16-year-old boy.

The 15-year-old has pleaded not guilty to the second count of murder, and the 17-year-old has pleaded not guilty to both charges, though guilty to the reduced charge of manslaughter against Max.

The three other defendants deny all charges.

Ray Tully KC, prosecuting, told the court: "In the lead up to this trial, the 15-year-old boy has pleaded guilty to the murder of Mason.

"By that plea, we understand that he accepts that he inflicted a fatal injury to Mason. He has kept his not guilty plea to the murder of Max Dixon.

"We maintain that he is guilty of both murders due to the joint nature of what was going on."

'Unsurvivable injuries'

The court heard earlier how Mason, who was stabbed once in the back and once in the chest, sustained "unsurvivable injuries".

Max, who was stabbed once in the abdomen, also suffered "instant severe blood loss".

Both boys were treated at the scene by paramedics and taken to hospital - Mason to Bristol Royal Hospital for Children and Max to Southmead Hospital - but died within 15 minutes of one another.

Prosecutor Ray Tully told the court how some of the defendants had been captured attempting to destroy evidence

Ray Tully KC, prosecuting, told the court that the four younger defendants jumped out of a car driven by Mr Snook and attacked the pair in a case of mistaken identity.

After the attack, the teenagers were caught on CCTV attempting to destroy and hide evidence, the court was told.

Images captured from a back garden show a fire being lit and what appears to be clothing being deliberately burned.

One of the teenagers involved was also seen placing an item in a shed. Officers later searched the property and found a knife in the same area.

'Anxious and shaking'

Mr Tully also revealed to the court that Mr Snook had been arrested at his home address about an hour after the attack, with his car having been linked to the incident.

While on the way to a custody suite in Keynsham, police received confirmation Mason had died and stopped the van to tell Mr Snook he was being further arrested for Mason's murder.

On being informed of Mason's death, Mr Snook "took a large exhale of air followed by stating ‘s***’", Mr Tully told the court.

The 17-year-old defendant handed himself into police shortly after midnight on 31 January, with police saying he "appeared to be anxious, shaking, pale, clammy and shocked” on arrival.

The three other defendants were all arrested at different addresses, with the youngest meeting police to hand himself in.

Mr Tully said three people targeted a property with machetes on the night of the attack

Mr Tully told how a property in the Hartcliffe area of Bristol was targeted about an hour before Max and Mason's attack.

Three people were seen outside with machetes and bricks were thrown through a window, which injured a woman.

After the incident, Snook, Tolliver and the three teenage boys left the area in Snook's car.

Mr Tully said they were armed with "fearsome weapons".

Referring to Snook, he told the jury on Thursday: "He was transporting a car full of young people armed to the teeth with weapons and hell-bent on revenge for what had happened earlier that evening."

Mr Tully previously told the court on Wednesday: "As they drove past Max and Mason walking down the street, they thought they had spotted the people responsible for the earlier attack - or at the very least, people connected to it.

"They were entirely wrong about that. Max and Mason had absolutely nothing to do with any earlier incident and no connection whatsoever with those events."

The trial continues, and is set to last until the end of November.