A POLICE officer today described the bloody aftermath of a dog fight at a Birmingham shop as "the most distressing" scene he had witnessed in his career. PC Paul Foster was the first officer at the scene in Alum Rock Road in February last year, Birmingham magistrates were told. Police were alerted by neighbours. PC Foster told the court: "I could hear sounds of cheering and hollering. But then I heard the sound of the dogs howling and squealing. Every time I heard what sounded like an animal in distress, it was followed by a crescendo of cheering." He described how he called for back-up, and officers used spades to prise open the back door of the property, where they discovered more than 20 men. "Then a black pit bull terrier started walking around my feet," he added. "He was blood-stained and very unwell." Officers discovered a second dog stuffed in a cupboard. "He was really, really poorly," added PC Foster. "It's probably one of the most distressing things I've seen since I've been in the police service." RSPCA vets carried out emergency surgery but both dogs died. Nine men appeared in court yesterday. Intikab Hussain, aged 31, of Sladefield Road, Ward End, and Barkat Hussain, 42, of Unett Street, Smeth-wick, both deny possessing a pit bull terrier, making it fight another animal, attending a dog fight and causing the unnecessary suffering of a dog. Mamoon Iftikar Ahmed, 24, and Umar Iftikar Ahmed, 26, both of Phipson Road, Sparkhill, deny attending a dog fight and keeping premises for fighting. Zahir Ahmed, 31, of Bevington Road, Aston, and Sohail Hussain, 27, of Parkfield Road, Saltley, have pleaded not guilty to attending the fight and possessing a pit bull terrier. Yasser Mohammed Khalid, 25, of Rotton Park Road, Edgbaston, Majid Mushtaq, 28, of Prospect Place, Preston, and Nabeel Mohammed Safdar, 25, of Ash Road, Saltley, also deny attending a dog fight. Imran Arif, 29, of Sandway Gardens, Washwood Heath, also denies attending a dog fight but was excused from yesterday's hearing. Two other men - Zahoor Hussain, aged 40, of Foley Road, Ward End, and Waqqas Mughal, 18, of Unett Street, Smethwick - have both pleaded guilty to possessing a pit bull terrier, making it fight other animals, attending a dog fight, and causing the unnecessary suffering of a dog. Both are due to be sentenced next week. (Proceeding.) |
