Max and Mason killer 'gloats' about murders in videos on Instagram
Instagram videos show the jailed Kodi-Shai Westcott rapping about the deaths of Max and Mason.
Last updated 3rd Mar 2025
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has launched an investigation into how one of the boys found guilty of murdering Max Dixon and Mason Rist in January 2024 has been able to post videos on Instagram in which he 'gloats' about their murders.
The MoJ tells us they have "demanded that social media companies take them down", while they've also been in contact with the council that runs the secure children's home where 17-year-old Kodi-Shai Westcott is being held.
Wescott was one of five people jailed for life in December 2024 for the double murders and will remain in a secure children's home until he becomes an adult.
On his Instagram account, which we will not name, he raps on top of a picture taken from a local paper of his mugshot with the caption: 'Kodi Westcott, 17, has been jailed for a minimum term of 23 years and 44 days.'
On Sunday afternoon (2nd March), he posted a video from what looks to be the secure children's home with the caption: 'weres *** he up in his coffin' followed by a coffin emoji- which appears to be in reference to Max.
This video was originally posted on February 21st and has not yet been taken down.
In an audio file posted 6 days ago, you can hear Kodi rapping "I shanked you", "I put them in the ground", and "33 seconds"- which is the duration of the attack on Max and Mason.
In many of the posts, he includes the hastag #freethelifers, in reference to his life sentence for the brutal murder of the boys- who's identity they mistook in a revenge attack.
Despite not turning 18 till the summer, the judge who presided over the trial chose to lift an order banning Kodi's identity from being known when he was sentenced.
'We have demanded that social media companies take them down.'
A Youth Custody Service spokesperson said: “Our thoughts are with the families of Max Dixon and Mason Rist who deserve better than to see this killer gloating about these awful murders.
“Young offenders are not permitted to access social media or mobile phones and face sanctions if they are caught doing so, including extra time in custody.
“We are investigating these recordings with the council that runs the Secure Children’s Home where Kodi-Shai Westcott is held and have demanded that social media companies take them down.”
They tell us they're committed to tackling the threat posed by illicit mobile phones and that they have a programme in place to prevent them from entering secure estates, by either detecting and/or disrupting their use.
Max and Mason's murder
The attack followed an incident at an address in Hartcliffe, when three unknown assailants, armed with weapons, threw bricks at the windows and damaged the doors with machetes.
Four teenagers- including Kodi-Shai Westcott- seeking retribution for the attack, called upon 45-year-old Antony Snook, of Hartcliffe, to drive them around to locate the offenders and get revenge.
During the six-week trial last year, the jury were told how Snook, who was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 38 years, drove the ‘pack’ from Hartcliffe to Knowle West as they went ‘hunting’.
The four defendants were described as being ‘armed to the teeth’ by Lead Prosecutor Ray Tully KC during the trial, with machetes and a baseball bat.
At the sentencing in December 2024, Mason's mum, Nikki Knight, said: "Mason was also my friend.
"I’m always looking at the door, checking the locks and trying to do all I can to feel safe again.
"I do these things while still expecting Mason to walk through the door, and come home to me.
“I wonder how much Mason suffered, did he feel pain, did he fight back, did he go to be with Max, did they talk to each other, did he run away, did he know he was stabbed, did he know what to do.
“Mason used to say he was the man of the house, he wanted to protect me, but I now feel I failed to protect him.
"I always imagined we would live together forever.”
At the same sentencing, Max's mum, Leanne Ekland, said: "We were very close; he was my boy.
"As much as I know Max would want me to carry on with life, it’s really not that easy as he was one of my reasons for living my life.
“My son didn’t deserve to die, Mason didn’t deserve to die, and our family don’t deserve to have to go through this but due to your actions that night, two families have been destroyed and there is no justification for that.”
Instagram have been approached for comment and have told us the account has been removed.