Mothers of stabbed teens say killer ‘gloated’ in rap

The mothers of two teenage boys who were stabbed to death has said one of the murderers should be handed more jail time after “gloating” in a rap on social media.

Mason Rist, 15, and Max Dixon, 16, were ambushed in a case of mistaken identity outside Mason’s home in Knowle West, Bristol, on 27 January 2024.

It emerged earlier this year that Kodi Wescott, 17, who was found guilty of murder in November, had been sharing offensive rap tracks about the crime on Snapchat while in jail.

“This proves to me that there’s no remorse whatsoever,” said Max’s mother, Leanne Ekland.

She added: “[Friday 21 March] is a year ago from when I had to bury my son, instead of being able to focus on that, I can’t.”

Wescott was found guilty for both murders, alongside Antony Snook, 45, Riley Tolliver, 18, and two boys aged 16 and 15 who cannot be named due to their ages, with all five handed life sentences.

Wescott was told he would have to serve a minimum of 23 years.

The “disrespectful” rap lyrics made reference to 33 seconds – the length of time it took to ambush and kill the teenagers.

Ms Ekland, whose position is strongly supported by Mason’s mother Nikki Knight, said: “He’s gloating about murdering two boys that had nothing to do with them, over a postcode war.”

The murder trial was told there had been a long-standing rivalry between Knowle West and neighbouring Hartcliffe, and there had previously been incidents involving people from “both postcodes”.

The violent video Wescott made has now been removed from social media – but Max and Mason’s families have said that is not enough.

“For him to brag about what he did – I personally think he should be resentenced and given more time,” Ms Ekland said.

On Thursday, judge and former Justice Secretary Sir Robert Buckland told the BBC Wescott’s possession of a mobile phone – considered a contraband item in a youth detention centre – “might give rise to an alleged criminal offence”.

“Therefore it should be investigated, I think, as a separate criminal offence, for which this person could potentially be prosecuted,” he said.

“That would then lead to a separate sentence that would be added to the sentence of life imprisonment.”

Ms Ekland added: “[Wescott] should be held accountable. He should never be allowed to come out of prison.

“I am Max’s voice and I’m not going to disappear and hide away.”

She added: “If you’re caught with something you’re not allowed to have, then you should automatically have time added onto your sentence.”

The Ministry of Justice previously said it disabled a number of accounts relating to the allegations of social media misuse.

The council that runs the secure children’s home where Wescott is held also conducted searches to remove any illicit mobile devices.

A meeting has been arranged with the mothers of Max Dixon and Mason Rist, Minister for Youth Justice, Sir Nic Dakin and leaders in the Youth Custody Service to discuss the case in more detail on 6 May.