A deadly dogfighting ring, led by ’Doctor Death’ and his gang, operated out of a suburban garage, motivated solely by financial gain
Phillip Ali, known as ’Doctor Death’, operated a brutal international contest circuit where participants could win thousands of pounds while animals were subjected to horrific acts of violence in Essex
A gang ran a vicious international dog-fighting ring in the garage of a couple’s village home.
It was led by “Doctor Death” Phillip Ali, 68, who had animals pumped with steroids to win lucrative, deadly bouts. On Wedneday, he was found guilty of a string of cruelty charges with Essex homeowners Billy and Amy Leadley.
To many it would have looked like any other garage of a suburban home, but the Leadley’s house hid a horrific secret world of deadly dog fighting.
And from within its walls, Ali ran a barbaric international contest ring where thousands of pounds could be won as the animals were ripped apart. His dogs were trained them for their bloodthirsty battles, a court heard.
Billy Leadley, 38, and 39-year-old Amy claimed they had a birthing pit in their garage – but blood splatters from five different dogs proved they were secretly using it as an “arena” for the twisted spectacles.
The couple along with Ali, 68, and his 56-year-old accomplice Stephen Brown were found guilty of a string of charges in relation to the vicious dog fights, about which they circulated reports after each one.
One bragged about an animal biting another “in the throat” and “shaking hard”. Fitness coach Billy even refereed the fights while operating underground kennels at his home in Bambers Green, Takeley, Essex, training the animals.
When vets from the RSPCA -examined the “filthy” set-up they found dogs covered in scars where their flesh had been torn and punctured. Jurors heard how the pair hosted fights in a homemade pit with blood splatters across the walls.
Prosecuting barrister Hazel Stevens told Chelmsford crown court: “Samples were taken and found to have come from at least five different dogs. The middle section of the garage contained a pit, 12ft x 8ft, carpeted with painted sides.”
In one match held in Leadley’s bloodied pit, the group watched on as a pitbull called Bonnie was mauled to death in a fight which went on for 25 minutes. The dog was left bleeding and badly injured with two front broken legs. Her body was never recovered.
As the animals were trained up for their grisly encounters, Billy and hairdresser Amy shared loved-up selfies and pictures of their two young sons on social media. But under the alias “Tony Stellios”, he also showed off his dogs to other fighters and shared breeding advice with them.
The gang operated across Essex but also travelled to Ireland and France in pursuit of their sick pastime. Ali led the UK arm of the outfit from his home in Chigwell, Essex, -organising fights with his overseas counterparts.
Jurors heard how he orchestrated several matches including two where the losing dogs were left with broken bones and bleeding extensively.
In a voice note played to the court, Ali claimed one dog, Olivia, would not have died had her handler lined her stomach with an anti-sickness drug.
He said: “I was telling the boy with Olivia, you’ve got to use a stomach liner, I told everyone to use -pepto-bismol no one listened. She lived all that time, then she is throwing up, she is s******g through the eye of an needle because her stomach has all gone ulcerated.”
Ali had already served 10 years behind bars for attempted murder after attacking a man on Christmas Day in 2005. But following his release he embarked on the underworld of cruel dog fighting.
While these innocent animals suffered Ali profited to the tune of up to £5,000 for winning a single match. In a bid to secure his prize money he told Brown to beef up the dogs with steroids.
Officers searching the -accomplice’s home found several “vet kits” with syringes, needles and surgical blades, IV fluids, skin staples, veterinary medication, two dog shock collars, books on dog fighting, -pedigree and vet paperwork.
In a three-year probe, the RSPCA also discovered gruesome videos of dogs covered in blood and evidence of others that were shipped abroad to fight but never came home.
The dogs fought by the group were mostly banned pitbulls and other bull breeds. RSPCA Special Ops Unit chief inspector Ian Muttitt said the sick sport was the gang’s “hobby”.
He added: “These people don’t do it for money, some people go out and play golf on a weekend. These people go out and do this, it’s their passion.”
Photos showed the vile group enjoying booze-fuelled meals in Bordeaux celebrating just hours after winning an “international show” in November 2021.
During the gang’s five-week trial, -prosecutors revealed the dogs were given up to 12 weeks to get in shape for the horrific encounters, using treadmills, weighted collars and “flirt poles” to help condition them.
One of the dogs found at Ali’s home, named Dotti, was referred to as a “Grand Champion”, meaning she had won at least five bloody encounters.
Messages recovered from his mobile phone revealed he had helped organise for his Irish associates to arrive at London -Stansted airport, five miles from the Leadley property.
Vets who examined animals from the Leadleys’ house discovered they had “full thickness” puncture wounds – with blood-soaked fur shavings in their pens.
Billy claimed some of the injuries were sustained from foxes and rat bites. But a vet told the court that the injuries were “classic scarring patterns from engaging in prolonged fights with other dogs”.
Judge Jamie Sawyer told the gang he would “not exclude prison” when the are sentenced at Chelmsford crown court in June.
The charges they were found guilty of included keeping and/or training a dog for use in a fight, causing a fight, keeping a -premises for use in fighting and taking part in a fight. The -Leadleys also admitted failing to meet the needs of dogs.
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