Features / Crime
Max’s mother recalls final moments with ‘full of fun’ son
On January 27, best friends Max Dixon and Mason Rist headed out to get food. Little did their families know that this would be the last time they would see them alive.
Mistaking Max and Mason for attackers related to another incident, three teenagers and two others killed the two boys in Knowle West.
As the unfortunate date of their passing draws close, Max’s mum has spoken about her memories of her “hyper” and “full of fun” son.
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In an interview with Avon and Somerset Police, Leanne Ekland said: “He was always joking around. He would definitely torment you – you couldn’t help but laugh.Overall he was respectful, kind, loving – he’s just a lovely boy.”
Max was the youngest in the family, with three elder sisters – photo: Max’s family
Max was the youngest in his family, with three older sisters. He was what his mother calls the “surprise boy” as they were fully expecting to have another girl.
On the night of January 27, Ekland and her partner were in bed and were confident that Max was in his room playing PlayStation. It was only when a car pulled up outside their front door and said that Max had been stabbed that the realisation hit her.
“I knew when I was allowed to sit down on the floor with him…he was so pale.
“It was just such a panic. I don’t know what I was thinking, I was sat down on the floor and the paramedics were cutting his clothes and I just kept thinking he’s going to be so annoyed with you because you’re cutting his coat off.
“It was his Christmas coat…and that was all that was going on in my mind.”
Max and Mason spent most of their free time PlayStation – photo: families
In the subsequent days, Ekland admits to being in a “daze” and just trying to not think about what happened. Since January to now in December, the Knowle West community has constantly shown their support towards Ekland – showering her with messages and checking in on the family.
It was a long time before the 16-year-old’s mother knew the reasons behind the stabbing.
“In the beginning, I had no idea why they were targeted.
“When I was told, it was hard to comprehend because there was no reason for Max and Mason to not be here today.”
Antony Snook of Hartcliffe drove three teenagers, who can not be named due to their age and 18-year-old Riley Tolliver to Knowle in his car. Tolliver and the teenagers had intentions of seeking revenge, for a brick-throwing incident from a few days earlier in Hartcliffe and were armed.
The three teenagers and Tolliver misidentified Max and Mason from the brick incident and stabbed them, which led to the deaths of the two best friends.
Max was what his mother calls a “surprise boy” after she gave birth to three girls – photo: Max’s family
Max’s mother continued: “When I see Max and Mason on the CCTV meet up with each other, I just look at him and I could see him smile.
“And what’s sad is those boys don’t know what’s going to happen to them, they have no idea what’s going to happen to them when they walk out that gate.
“They must have been petrified, because they were just going to get some food. They’ve done nothing wrong.”
45-year-old Snook was the oldest amongst everyone in the situation. Ekland believes that being there meant Snook could have stopped the teenagers and Tolliver.
She said: “He could have stopped it.
“I do believe that those two boys would be alive today, if it wasn’t for his (Snook) actions that night. I do think that he is the main culprit.
“He may have not used a weapon, but he was the one that facilitated Max and Mason’s murder.”
Talking about gang culture and knife crime, Ekland added: “I’ve always brought Max up to respect anybody. I’ve told him they treat you how you treat them.
“I don’t understand the gang culture, I never have. But then back in my day, it used to be a fist fight and that’s fine.
“You can walk away from that. But when you’re carrying weapons what outcome are you expecting?
“I really don’t know what you’re trying to prove because I always said that that night they didn’t even give those two boys a chance to fight back.
“They didn’t even give them a chance to say ‘We had nothing to do with it’. They basically went straight to them and attacked them.
“And I think they were looking for anybody that night and unfortunately it happened to be my son and Mason.”
Main photo: Avon and Somerset Police
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