'Families ripped apart,' claims murder accused

Antony Snook, seated right, is one of five people jointly accused of the murders of Mason Rist and Max Dixon.

A man accused of murdering two teenagers said families have been "ripped apart" by their deaths, a court has heard.

Antony Snook, 45, Riley Tolliver, 18, and three teenagers aged 15, 16, and 17 who cannot be named - are all jointly accused of the murders of Mason Rist, 15, and Max Dixon, 16, in Bristol.

Bristol Crown Court heard transcripts of Mr Snook's interviews with police where he said "my life's going to be messed up".

"Nobody's going to end up winning out of this, it's just a load of families devastated for nothing," he told officers.

The 15-year-old boy has pleaded guilty to murder of Mason, but denies the murder of Max, and the 17-year-old to the manslaughter of Max, but denies murder. The boy aged 16, Mr Snook and Mr Tolliver deny murder.

Mr Snook was interviewed five times by police, from 28 January to 31 January after the deaths of the two teenagers from stab wounds on 27 January in the Knowle West area of the city.

He told police how he had driven to Swindon to buy a mobile phone on 27 January, with a boy and a girl, when the girl received a phone call to say that her mother's house in Hartcliffe had been attacked that evening.

Mr Snook returned to Bristol with the pair, and was approached by three teenagers, who asked him to take them to a "safe place" to sleep for the night.

"I didn't talk to any of them, the only thing that was said was 'where the hell am I going?'"

He said he noticed the teenagers acted "all jumpy" when they drove past a police van outside a shop on Newquay Road, before the car turned into Ilminster Avenue.

'Like a rocket'

"The kids shouted 'Stop, stop'. They bailed out the car like a rocket. I had to spin the car around to go, and I was going to leave them all there but two were back in the car before the car door had locked," Mr Snook told police.

"I didn't know why they jumped out, and I had no warning," he added.

Mr Snook claimed he didn't see the attack, but did see someone lying on the floor shortly afterwards.

"I panicked and just bolted," he said.

"The conversation in the car was limited, I gave the them a dressing down like they were naughty little kids.

"When they got back in the car, the mood was not good, pretty sour," he added.

Max and Mason died after being stabbed as they walked in the Knowle West area of the city

Mr Snook said he had no idea there were weapons in his car at any point.

"I don’t know how someone could get in the back of the car with a sword because the back of the car was full up," he told police.

"I’m annoyed I got caught in a trap that I didn’t know I was getting caught in.

"I was trying to help a family out that had just been violated, and I’m not going for retaliation against some teenage boys, do you know what I mean?

"Two innocent lads have died and two families ripped apart, and I understand they're going to want justice.

"What can I say? I'm riddled with guilt because I've been dragged into something I wasn't aware of and I panicked," he added.

The trial continues.