Ex-gangster wins legal battle to save his two French Bulldogs
‘Mr Big’ ex-gangster wins legal battle to save his two French Bulldogs from destruction after they bit a woman as she walked past his home
- John Gizzi was outraged when a district judge ordered both animals be put down
- Order was made after the dogs, Kilo and Roxy, attacked a woman outside home
- Mr Gizzi, 50, received 20,000 signatures on petition calling for dogs to be saved
- A judge at Mold Crown Court allowed Mr Gizzi’s appeal to give the dogs a lifeline
- The dogs were allowed to live but must muzzled and be on leads when in public
A notorious ‘Mr Big’ ex-gangster has won a legal battle to save his two French bulldogs from death row – after they attacked a woman outside his home.
Kilo and Roxy, owned by convicted cocaine trafficker John Gizzi, launched themselves at ‘terrified’ Zoe Carroll as she walked past the property in St Asaph, North Wales.
Ms Carroll went to hospital for treatment after being bitten on the hand and ankle during the incident – which resulted in police sending nine armed officers to take the dogs away.
A judge previously ordered that the two dogs, aged three and one, be put down over the May attack.
But Mr Gizzi, who rounded-up 20,000 signatures calling for the French bulldogs to be saved, appealed the destruction order.
Now the 50-year-old has won his appeal, with a judge ruling the animals must be trained and muzzled instead.
A notorious ‘Mr Big’ ex-gangster, John Gizzi (pictured), has won a legal battle to save his two French Bulldogs from death row – after they attacked a woman outside his home
Roxy (pictured left) and Kilo (pictured right), owned by convicted cocaine trafficker John Gizzi, launched themselves at ‘terrified’ Zoe Carroll as she walked past the property in St Asaph, North Wales
The attack happened outside Gizzi’s home in St Asaph, as Ms Carroll was walking past in May.
She went to hospital for treatment after being bitten on the hand and ankle near Gizzi’s home by the dogs.
One of the dogs jumped up and bit her on the hand while dog started to bite her ankle.
The court heard she fled and went to hospital for treatment. She was given antibiotics and was left traumatised.
The attack happened outside Gizzi’s home in St Asaph, North Wales, as Ms Carroll was walking past in May. She went to hospital for treatment after being bitten on the hand and ankle near Gizzi’s home by the dogs.
Mr Gizzi was prosecuted for being in charge of a dog causing injury whilst dangerously out of control.
Mr Gizzi, known as ‘Rhyl’s Mr Big’, was outraged when a district judge ordered both animals be put down as part of his conviction, because they were considered a danger to the public.
He battled to save his dogs’ live in court – and criticised police for sending ‘nine armed police officers to take a puppy’.
A judge at Mold Crown Court allowed Mr Gizzi’s appeal to give the dogs a lifeline after more than 20,000 people backed his fight.
Mr Gizzi’s barrister Simon Killeen called animal behaviourist Paul Moroney to show the dogs can be trained to be safe.
Mr Killeen asked: ‘Is it your view these dogs can be trained so they will present in a way that’s not a risk to the public?’
Mr Moroney said: ‘Absolutely.’
Her Honour Judge Nicola Saffman issued a contingency destruction order with conditions that the French bulldogs must be muzzled in public, be on leads in public and be led by a responsible adult in public.
They must also have a minimum of five training sessions by May 1.
The judge ordered that Mr Gizzi must build a fence or barrier to prevent the dogs escaping from his garden.
The judge also told Mr Gizzi to Ms Carroll £400 compensation. Mr Gizzi had originally received a suspended jail terms and had to pay £1,000 to his victim.
Instead the judge gave Mr Gizzi a 12-month community order. He must wear an electronic tag from 9pm till 7am for two months.
The judge ordered that Mr Gizzi must build a fence or barrier to prevent the dogs escaping from his garden. Pictured: The gates to Mr Gizzi’s home
After the successful appeal against the destruction order imposed earlier at Llandudno magistrates, Mr Gizzi said: ‘I am happy for the dogs.
‘My family and I are grateful for the 28,000 signatures we had from supporters in two weeks and for their donations.’
Mr Gizzi is an infamous ex-gangster who has previously been jailed over a string of crimes.
He was jailed in 2006 for beating up two homeless men with wooden stave, and released after three years of a five-and-a-half year sentence.
But in 2011 he was jailed for 11 years after admitting conspiring to bring cocaine into Wales.
The dogs were bought for his wife after he was released from prison – but the court heard there had been seven calls about the Mr Gizzi’s family’s dogs in the last 18 months.
The dogs were bought for Mr Gizzi’s (pictured) wife after he was released from prison – but the court heard there had been seven calls about the Mr Gizzi’s family’s dogs in the last 18 months
During the case, Mr Gizzi shouted: ‘If my name had not been on top of this sheet I would not even be here. Nine armed police came to my house to take a puppy!’
The dogs are the pets of him and wife Rachel Parland. The couple said they could have given Roxy, three, and Kilo, one, behavioural lessons because coronavirus restrictions meant nowhere was open.
He described the ruling to put down the dogs as ‘ barbaric and ridiculously harsh.’
He said: ‘I would be the first to agree that, if dogs bite someone and savage them, then they should be destroyed. But in this case the injuries were minor and my dogs are young and can be rehabilitated.’
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