A ringleader called Dr Death's stomach-churning 'match reports' detailing sickening injuries suffered by animals in his brutal dog fighting ring have been revealed.
Four members of a 'callous' dog fighting gang that included 'Dr Death' were jailed for a total of more than 11 years today.
Banned pitbulls and other bull breeds were subjected to brutal training regimes including running on treadmills, being beefed up with steroids, and surviving on starvation diets to reach fight weight before being entered into bouts.
Many suffered horrific injuries including broken legs and gaping wounds that left vivid scars.
They were treated with makeshift medical kits and advice taken from a paperback called 'The Dog Repair Kit' to avoid coming into contact with vets who would have reported the gang to the authorities.
Phillip Ali, 67, of Chigwell, Essex, was jailed for five years after he was convicted following a trial of 10 offences under the Animal Welfare Act.
His mobile phone proved to be a 'gold mine' of information with travel plans, photos and videos of dogs and match reports. It also led police to his three co-defendants.
In one of his reports, he could be heard saying: 'Bonnie now getting tired. Loss of blood and one of her front legs has been broken… possibly both and then she starts to lay down and it's going one way.'
Phillip Ali (left) also known as Dr Death has been sentenced to four years in prison. Stephen Brown (right) who was his 'right-hand man' was jailed for two years and six months after he was found guilty of five offences under the Animal Welfare Act
Personal trainer Billy Leadley who had a dog fighting pit in his home in Bambers Green, near Takeley in Essex, was jailed for a total of four years for 12 different offences
The dogs in their custody endured brutal training regimes which included being starved to fighting weight before taking part in fights - sometimes to the death
One gruesome match report said there was 'blood from both females everywhere'
This match report details one dog going 'deep in to the throat' of another dog, which has suffered a 'kennel accident' a just a few days prior
This report, in all capitals, described a dog doing a 'good job' of 'taking out' another animal
This report describes a 'hole' in the muzzle of one poor dog in a fight
For their barbaric treatment, the gang will serve a combined total of over 11 years behind bars
Right-hand man Stephen Brown, 57, also of Chigwell, who provided rudimentary health care for the injured dogs and was also involved in their training and arranging fights, received 30 months for five offences.
Personal trainer Billy Leadley, 38, was convicted of 12 offences and was jailed for four years.
The father-of-two had a dog fighting pit at his home and narrated a 'horrific' 58-minute match report for one bout which he refereed and in which one of the animals broke both legs.
Leadley's wife, Amy, 39, was not directly involved in the ring but was sentenced for offences involving keeping a premises for dog fighting and not caring for the animals properly.
The hairdresser received an 18-month community order, 200 hours of unpaid work and 25 days' rehabilitation activity after Judge Jamie Sawyer noted 'somebody has to look after the children'.
Reports from the 'matches' described a 'fast and aggressive' start from two female dogs, with one attacking the chest and stomach of the other, who was 'working the muzzle'.
Heart-wrenchingly, it went on to say that blood from both dogs was 'everywhere'.
Another match report riddled with spelling mistakes and lack of grammar references how one dog was in a 'kennel accident' just a few days prior. The other dog had gone in 'deep' on the poor injured animal's throat.
The report ruthlessly concludes his injury 'did not help his cause'.
One of the more disgustingly brutal reports described a dog called Bonnie 'getting tired' from blood loss, with one of her front legs broken, 'possibly both'.
Amy Leadley (pictured) who was not directly involved in the ring, was sentenced for various offences linked to keeping a premises for dog-fighting and not caring for the animals properly
Much of the key evidence in the case came from a phone belonging to Harris Ali, 67 from Chigwell in Essex, who was known as Dr Death. This included photos and videos of dogs and gruesome match reports detailing how the animals were set upon each other
Three dogs being kept in kennels in the garden of Phillip Harris Ali's home in Chigwell, Essex
This match report written in all capitals described a dog as 'done some damage'
One of the milder of the horrible reports described a dog struggling to stay on her feet
The Leadley's social media accounts portray them as perfect parents as they laugh and play with their children.
Other photos show members of the sick group grinning and enjoying a celebratory alcohol-fuelled meal in Bordeaux after winning an 'international show' in November 2021.
Attacking the gang's 'shocking level of barbarism and callousness', Judge Sawyer told them: 'Dogs were treated as a commodity by each of you. They were playing pieces in your game.'
The gang secretly arranged bloody fights with prize pots of up to £5,000 in England, Ireland and France by contacting each other on encrypted messaging app Signal, Chelmsford Crown Court heard.
They were caught after the RSPCA received a report of concern about an animal's welfare at the home of Philip Ali, who had previously received a 15-year jail term for attempted murder and was nicknamed Dr Death in the fight world.
An inspector who visited the property in August 2021 saw a treadmill, as well as scars on dogs' faces, leading to an investigation by its Special Operations Unit.
After gathering evidence, Metropolitan Police officers raided Ali's home, where they found a vet kit containing steroids, antibiotics, an UV kit for fluids and skin staplers.
There were also break sticks, which are used to separate fighting dogs, and flirt poles, with have rope attached and are used for training. Two dogs were taken into care.
Officers found 16 dogs at the Leadleys' home in Takeley, Essex, including a large number of bull breeds thought to have been used for fighting.
A 12ft by 8ft dog fighting pit spattered with blood was located in the garage. Forensic tests on ten blood samples showed they came from at least five different dogs.
Brown's home turned up books on dog fighting and a vet kit.
Ali and his son Matthew were given 15-year jail terms for the attempted murder of Richard Cabby, who was dragged from a van and beaten in the street before being stabbed 17 times on Christmas Day 2005.
The mother of his two children had married Matthew earlier that year and she had tried to stop Mr Cabby and his parents having access to the boy and girl.
Chief inspector Ian Muttitt of the RSPCA said after the sentencing: 'The individuals involved in this case were at the top level of dog fighting.
'They caused a huge amount of suffering over a prolonged period of time.'
PC Kerry Rowson, of Essex Police, said: 'The brutal crimes… were cruel, calculated and entirely for their own profit.'
Pitting animals against each other in combat, including dog fighting, co*ckfighting, bear baiting and badger baiting, has been outlawed in the UK since 1835.
Animals were specially trained for the fights using treadmills, weighted collars, steroids and painkillers
The Dog Repair Book found at Stephen Brown's property
All four defendants have been banned from keeping dogs for 10 years.
RSPCA chief inspector Ian Briggs - who led the investigation into the gang known as Operation Ghoul, said: 'Dog fighting is a barbaric and horrific blood sport which has been illegal in this country for almost 190 years; yet there is a secretive and clandestine underworld where it continues to happen today.
'It has become a hobby, passion and source of entertainment for the people involved, but the reality is that the dogs involved suffer unimaginable pain, suffering, fear and distress.
'This gang dedicated their lives to breeding, preparing and training what they believed were champion fighting dogs.
'They enjoyed the build-up to a fight and the excitement of the bloody brawls, as well as trying to patch their injured and dying dogs back together after the event.
'Sadly, some of the dogs in this case suffered severe injuries and were never found but a mobile phone recovered as part of the investigation included match reports that detailed awful and fatal injuries suffered by some of the dogs involved.'
The League Against Cruel Sports, a charity dedicated to stopping animals taking part in sports such as dog fighting, worked with the authorities to catch the gang.
Emma Judd, the charity's head of campaigns, said: 'Most people in this country would be horrified that such a cruel sport could be taking place in their neighbourhoods, and we urge anyone who is even slightly suspicious of similar activities happening where they live to get in touch with us.
'We promise we will investigate and we will work with the authorities to bring people to justice.
'We welcome the courts using the new sentencing powers which reflect the severity of the offences, and which the League was instrumental in lobbying government for.'
A dog called Dotti in a crate, taken from Phillip Harris Ali's phone
The RSPCA launched an investigation into dog fighting in the Essex and London areas after one of the charity's officers visited Ali's address, in Chigwell, Essex, in August 2021.
Concerns were raised after the officer saw treadmills and scarring on the dogs' faces and reported his concerns to his colleagues in the RSPCA's Special Operations Unit - a taskforce which investigates serious and organised animal crime, including dog fighting.
When Ali's home was raided on March 14, 2022, two dogs were seized by the Metropolitan Police and placed into RSPCA care, while dog-fighting paraphernalia, including a slat mill, two treadmills, four break sticks and two flirt poles, were recovered.
A DIY vet kit containing items such as skin staplers, an IV kit, bandages, needles, steroids, antibiotics and painkillers were also found, while a seized mobile phone showed Ali had recorded hours of WhatsApp voice notes describing planning for fights.
Deleted videos on the phone showed graphic dog fights and injuries, while the phone also revealed match reports following organised fights, information relating to travel plans for fights, as well as messages planning fights, talking about training regimes, and discussing injuries dogs had suffered.
The investigation led to warrants being executed at other addresses, including that of Billy and Amy Leadley, aged 38 and 39, in Bambers Green, Takeley, Essex, and Stephen Brown, 56, of Burrow Road, Chigwell, and at a third address in Merseyside.
RSPCA vets found dogs covered in scars where their skin had been torn and broken
The gang built an outside arena for dog fights during a trip to France
Sixteen dogs were seized from the Leadleys' address, including bull breeds thought to have been used for fighting, many being kept in poor conditions in a garage, plus two smaller breeds who were removed on welfare grounds from the house.
One dog was seized from the property in Merseyside.
A slat mill, vet kit and books about dog fighting were all recovered from Brown's address, while a flirt pole, two slat mills, weighted collars and other weight training equipment, plus four break sticks, were seized from the Leadleys' property, which also had a dog fighting pit.
A total of 19 dogs were seized by police and taken into the RSPCA's care as part of Operation Ghoul.
RSPCA Behaviour and Welfare Specialist Claire said: 'A lot of these dogs were nervous and shut down when they arrived in our care and many had extensive scarring on their muzzles, heads, chests and front legs; something we see in dogs who have been involved in organised fighting.
'The dogs were being kept in poor conditions, with little interaction with the outside world, except for when they were taken to fight another dog in bloody bouts that often ended in serious and fatal injuries.
'They had never experienced what it's like to curl up on a sofa and feel safe, or the fun of running through grassy fields or chasing after a football.
'But now they're getting the love and care that they deserve and have really blossomed and come out of their shells.'
One of the dogs, eight-year-old bull breed Jane - who was removed from one of the pens in the garage at the Leadleys' home - has been settling into a loving foster home.
One of the dogs, eight-year-old bull breed Jane (pictured) - who was removed from one of the pens in the garage at the Leadleys' home - has been settling into a loving foster home
Two dogs are seen fighting in the pit during one of the gruesome battles
Her fosterer Debbie, who now plans to adopt her, said: 'Jane is doing brilliantly and has settled in so well. Her behaviour is fantastic and she loves to go out for walks, and have a good sniff. She just wants to enjoy life and is really chilled.
'She's really chilled out and enjoys snoozing in the sun until she gets too hot, and then she moves into the shade.
'She can be fussy about eating so I've been roasting her chicken and cooking her steak, and she's slowly building up a good appetite. She's certainly very spoiled!'
A recent Channel 4 documentary called 'Untold: Inside Britain's Dog Fighting Gangs' revealed just how lucrative illegal dog fights can be where owners earn as much as £100,000.
The programme shows the aftermath of a dog fight between twoLondon gangs which is likened to a 'murder scene' with blood covering the floor and walls.
Filmed between London and the Midlands, the investigation shows trainers talking about losing 50 dogs to fights- detailing the harrowing injuries suffered.
These include ears being ripped off, broken legs, stomach lacerations and perhaps most brutally of all 'snout breaking' where the dog can no longer use its mouth.
Eastern European countries such as Bulgaria and Moldova have underground networks of trainers who breed and prepare dogs for fights across the world.
Trainers use secretive chat rooms and messaging apps such as Telegram to sell their dogs to buyers across Europe including Britain.
Fights held in the UK often taken place in warehouses, on industrial wasteland and on traveller camping sights far away from the eyes of the law.
Despite being illegal for nearly 200 years it is thought there is at least one dog fight a day with large purses to be won.
According to figures from the RSPCA from 2020 to 2023 dog fights have increased by over a third - amassing to 2,000 reports for that period.
London is the hotspot for dog fighting but it is also popular in Yorkshire, the Midlands and Manchester.
