The lives of Max Rist and Max Dixon were brutally cut short, stolen by a senseless act of violence that left a community reeling. Their mothers now grapple with a grief compounded by a chilling realization: this tragedy may have been preventable.
Nikki, mother to one of the boys, is now channeling her anguish into a relentless pursuit of accountability. She’s determined to uncover failings within the authorities, believing they tragically failed to protect her son and his friend. Her focus is set on 2026, and a commitment to demanding answers.
The perpetrator, Antony Snook, received a minimum sentence of 38 years for the double murder. But for Nikki, the sentence, while significant, doesn’t address the deeper, more disturbing questions surrounding the events leading up to the horrific crime.
Just days before the murders, a machete was discovered in Snook’s car during a routine stop. Astonishingly, he wasn’t arrested. The weapon wasn’t held as evidence. Instead, he was simply allowed to continue on his way, a decision that would prove devastatingly fatal.
CCTV footage captured the entire 33-second attack, a horrifying sequence unfolding on Mason’s doorstep. Four figures emerged from a vehicle, brandishing a terrifying arsenal – a machete, a zombie knife, and a baseball bat. The boys suffered wounds deemed “unsurvivable” before their attackers fled the scene.
During the trial, Snook attempted to distance himself from the weapons, claiming ignorance of their presence and denying the machete had been in his car. However, Nikki revealed that authorities were aware of a previous incident, just eight days prior, where a machete-style knife had been confiscated from Snook.
That incident was flagged for “further enquiries,” but Snook was released without charge, allowed to resume his journey. He reportedly told officers he was an “avid angler” and the knife was merely a piece of his fishing equipment – a claim that now feels like a cruel mockery.
The Crown Prosecution Service later determined it wasn’t in the public interest to pursue a possession charge after Snook’s murder conviction. A review by Avon and Somerset Police deemed the initial officer’s actions “entirely appropriate,” closing the matter without further investigation.
Nikki vehemently disagrees. She believes that had Snook been detained following the discovery of the first machete, the tragedy could have been averted. “If he had been remanded, then this tragedy wouldn’t have happened,” she stated, her voice filled with pain and frustration. “The police just let him go.”
The police, in a statement, confirmed they had detained and reported Snook for possessing a bladed article, which he claimed was for fishing. The knife was seized, but the case was dropped after the murder conviction. However, for Nikki, this explanation offers little comfort, only deepening the sense of injustice and loss.
The community remains shattered by the senseless deaths of Max and Mason. Nikki’s fight for accountability is not just for her son, but for all those who believe the system failed these two young boys, and must be changed to prevent future tragedies.
