More than 30 years after his father was shot dead, Leigh Alliss has vowed to keep fighting for justice.
A much-loved husband and father, Tony Alliss was shot dead in Penn Wood, King’s Stanley, near Stroud, in 1990 when he was 40 years old. His death in July 1990 followed a bitter boundary feud with father and son Terrence and Graig Maule, who went to the woods armed with shotguns where they encountered Tony.
It was claimed at the trial that Graig Maule’s gun went off, killing Tony as he was struggling with Terrence Maule, and that Leigh was injured by the next shot.
Terrence and Graig Maule walked free from Bristol Crown Court on June 23, 1991. The trial of the Maules on a murder charge lasted around two weeks, then judge Mr Justice Shiemann told Bristol Crown Court that he was to halt the trial.
The Maules were acquitted of all charges and no-one has been brought to justice for the killing of the father-of-four and wounding of his son Leigh, who was just 14 at the time.
Now 48, Leigh has fought to rebuild his life – finding focus as a professional boxer and cage fighter. He has now moved into the world of acting, where he has starred in hit BBC mockumentary This Country. Leigh also brought his father’s case to the big screen, producing a film, called Cowardice, which portrays the events around his dad’s death.
Keeping his father’s name in the public eye, Leigh recently appeared on Liam Tuffs YouTube channel The Dozen.
Leigh was able to get his heartfelt feelings out in an emotional chat with the YouTube host, saying: “It was really good to appear on Lee Tuffs show, especially as the mainstream media haven’t really covered it. I was able to sit down and become emotional with it. And I think when people watch the show, they can see how its affected me personally.”
Leigh says the interview was a form of therapy: “I got a lot of things off my chest during the interview.
The events have taken their toll on the Alliss family: “It has been tough for all of us, all we’ve ever wanted was a a fair trial, it’s so black and white and it’s not complicated.”
Leigh remains optimistic that one day his family will find peace: “I’ll keep going, but there’s so many people willing in life to roll over and give up at the first hurdle, or the second hurdle. I’m not going to give up because, as long as I got breath in my body, I will keep moving forward.
“I shouldn’t really be here, I should be dead the night my dad lost his life. I’m still here, so we keep fighting, keep moving forward.”
