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, the mother of one of the boys, is now channeling her anguish into a relentless pursuit of accountability. She’s determined to spend the coming years challenging the authorities, convinced they failed to protect her son and his friend.
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 systemic failures that allowed a dangerous individual to remain free.
Just days before the horrific attack, a machete was discovered in Snook’s car during a routine stop. Astonishingly, he wasn’t arrested. The weapon wasn’t held as evidence. He was simply allowed to continue on his way, a decision that would prove devastating.
CCTV footage captured the entire 33-second ordeal, a terrifying sequence of events 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 catastrophic, unsurvivable stab wounds before their attackers fled, leaving behind a scene of unimaginable horror. The speed and brutality of the attack are almost incomprehensible.
During the trial, Snook attempted to distance himself from the weapons, claiming he didn’t know the teens were armed and that the knives weren’t already in his car. But Nikki revealed a crucial detail: eight days prior, Snook had *another* machete-style knife confiscated.
This incident was flagged for “further enquiries,” yet Snook was released without charge, permitted to continue his life as if nothing had happened. He reportedly told officers he was an “avid angler” and the knife was simply part of his fishing gear.
The Crown Prosecution Service later determined it wasn’t in the public interest to pursue a possession charge after the murder conviction. A review by Avon and Somerset Police deemed the initial officer’s actions “entirely appropriate,” closing the matter.
Nikki vehemently disagrees. She believes that had Snook been detained after either incident, 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, in their own statement, confirmed they detained and reported Snook for possessing a bladed article, but the case was dropped after the murder conviction. The details are stark and unsettling.
For Nikki, the authorities’ collective failure is undeniable. They had multiple opportunities to intervene, to protect her son and his friend, and they failed. The weight of that failure is a burden she will carry forever.
She insists they should have been the ones to keep her children safe, but instead, they were tragically let down. The search for answers, and for accountability, continues.
