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| Men fined over illegal dog fight | Men fined over illegal dog fight |
| (41 minutes later) | |
| Ten men have been convicted and fined over an organised illegal dog fight in which two pit bull terriers died. | Ten men have been convicted and fined over an organised illegal dog fight in which two pit bull terriers died. |
| A district judge at Birmingham Magistrates' Court found all ten guilty of attending the fight, while five were convicted of more serious charges. | A district judge at Birmingham Magistrates' Court found all ten guilty of attending the fight, while five were convicted of more serious charges. |
| These include possessing a pit bull and causing unnecessary suffering to an animal. The five have been remanded for sentencing at a later date. | |
| A jury shown a tape of the fight heard shouts of encouragement and squeals. | |
| Squeals of pain | Squeals of pain |
| District Judge Kal Qureshi issued fines ranging between £750 and £1,400 to five men found guilty of attending the fight. | District Judge Kal Qureshi issued fines ranging between £750 and £1,400 to five men found guilty of attending the fight. |
| The other five have been remanded on bail for sentencing in October, along with two more men who admitted several offences before the trial. | The other five have been remanded on bail for sentencing in October, along with two more men who admitted several offences before the trial. |
| Mr Qureshi has told the men that custody is an option. | Mr Qureshi has told the men that custody is an option. |
| The fight took place in rooms at the back of a kitchen interior store in February last year, the court heard. | The fight took place in rooms at the back of a kitchen interior store in February last year, the court heard. |
| The men organised this makeshift pit for the dogs to fight in | The men organised this makeshift pit for the dogs to fight in |
| The jury, shown tapes of the fight, could hear squeals of pain and phrases such as "shake him" and "come on boy" as the dogs bit each other so badly that one was left covered in blood with hardly any hair round its face. | |
| One dog, which was hidden in ceiling tiles when the match was raided, died a few hours later and the other was so injured it was put down 48 hours later. | |
| Finding the men guilty, Mr Qureshi ruled that all ten who denied attending the fight had been there for at least 25 minutes. | Finding the men guilty, Mr Qureshi ruled that all ten who denied attending the fight had been there for at least 25 minutes. |
| Two claimed they went to the showroom to attend a music party and another man claimed one of the pit bull's was not his despite him referring to "my dog" three times while giving evidence. | Two claimed they went to the showroom to attend a music party and another man claimed one of the pit bull's was not his despite him referring to "my dog" three times while giving evidence. |
| A further man claimed the fighting pit had been constructed as a dance floor. | |
| Earlier this month, 14 men were fined after pleading guilty to attending the fight. | Earlier this month, 14 men were fined after pleading guilty to attending the fight. |
| One of the dogs died at the fight, the other was put down laterThe RSPCA, which brought the prosecution, said it was one of the largest dog fights it had ever uncovered. | |
| The convicted men are: | |
| The following men were convicted of attending a dog fight: | |