'I was not in control' driver tells murder trial

Mason Rist (L) and Max Dixon (R) were fatally stabbed in January

A man who allegedly drove four teenagers to a street where two boys were fatally stabbed has claimed it was “utter rubbish” that he knowingly perpetrated the attack.

Antony Snook, 45, is on trial at Bristol Crown Court along with four others for the murders of Mason Rist, 15, and 16-year-old Max Dixon.

He admits driving co-defendants Riley Tolliver, 18, and three boys aged 15, 16 and 17, to and from the scene in south Bristol but denies any knowledge of weapons or violence.

“I was not in control of the situation,” Mr Snook told the court on Thursday.

Max and Mason were attacked shortly after leaving Mason’s house in Ilminster Avenue in Knowle West at about 23:00 GMT on 27 January.

They had been wrongly identified as being responsible for bricks being thrown at a house in the neighbouring Hartcliffe district earlier that evening, it is alleged.

Mr Snook, a landscape gardener and former aerospace engineer, told the court he thought he was driving his four co-accused in his Audi Q2 car to a “safe house” following the Hartcliffe attack.

He believed he had been told to stop on Ilminster Avenue because that was the site of the safe house, he said.

Antony Snook (R) claims he thought he was driving his co-defendants to a safe house

Mr Snook added he did not know the boys were carrying weapons, and did not see the 33-second attack because he had been looking in his rear-view mirror.

He admitted seeing Mason in front of him in the road, but insisted he did not know he had been assaulted.

Prosecutor Ray Tully said: “You must have seen the 17-year-old strike Mason with that sword – it must have been obvious to you that Mason had been severely assaulted.

“You didn’t stop for him or help him. You left that boy to die in that road – that is what happened?”

“I suggest you were more interested in saving your own skin than his?”

Mr Snook replied: “I had no knowledge of the severity of it.”

Mr Tully continued: “You drove them around and around to find targets to be hit. When they jumped out of the car you waited with your engine running and you drove down the road in order to pick them up.”

“Do you think you acted like a man that night?”

Mr Snook replied: “It is shameful what happened. But I was not in control of the situation.”

Mr Snook denied knowing his co-defendants were carrying weapons

The attack on Max and Mason was captured on a CCTV camera on Mason’s house.

The victims both died from their wounds in hospital in the early hours of 28 January.

The 15-year-old defendant has admitted murdering Mason but denies murdering Max, while the 17-year-old has admitted the manslaughter of Max but denies his murder, and denies murdering Mason.

Mr Snook, Mr Tolliver and the 16-year-old all deny both counts of murder.

Barristers representing the four teenagers have confirmed they will not be giving evidence or calling any evidence.

The trial continues.