How professional boxer with a university degree Mali Wright became a street dealer and killer in Blackpool
Professional boxer Mali Wright’s spectacular fall from grace was laid bare when he was jailed for more than 14 years by a judge in Preston.
The promising light-heavyweight turned his lethal fists on a frail drug addict with devastating consequences, the city’s Crown Court heard.
Two powerful punches broke the ribs of 10-stone victim Daniel Allsop and “virtually bisected his spleen” to send a chilling message out to other customers of Wright’s thriving street drugs business to pay their bills on time.
Daniel, 38, died two days later in hospital after relatives gave permission for his life support system to be switched off.
Wright, who was found guilty of manslaughter and an assortment of drugs offences after a two-week trial in August, appeared before Judge Robert Altham for sentencing.
Members of Daniel’s family were in court to hear 30-year-old sent to prison for nine years for the killing and a further five-and-a-half years on drugs charges, the sentences to run one after the other.
Judge Altham was told Wright, a university accounting graduate, had embarked on a professional boxing career after a spell as a successful amateur fighter. He had won two and drawn the third of his three pro bouts when an injury forced him out of the ring for around a year.
While he was rehabilitating he was also running his own one-man drugs business based in Blackpool, but also serving customers in Preston by taxi. At times he employed runners to deliver the drugs and collect cash.
Daniel was a customer but had owed him some money for drugs supplied. At times Wright would accept stolen goods like phones and clothing as payment.
But when Daniel paid his bill with a TV set, Wright found it didn’t work and messaged him accusing him of “taking the p***.” An associate of both men agreed to settle the debt, but Mali refused.
It was said he wanted to set an example to other customers not to mess him about and so arranged for Daniel to be lured to an alleyway off Central Drive, Blackpool which was notorious for drug dealing.
When he arrived Wright punched him on the right side of his face, knocking him into the road. Then, as his tried to flee, he chased him and hit him with two powerful blows using “considerable force,” one of which fractured ribs in the upper left side of his back and the other in the lower left side, also rupturing his spleen.
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Daniel managed to get away and walked to a nearby McDonalds restaurant where he collapsed. Efforts were made to revive him by both friends and paramedics and he was taken to hospital where he never recovered.
When police arrested Wright they found large quantities of drugs and cash. They also discovered weighing scales bearing traces of heroin.
Barrister Francis McEntee, prosecuting, said Wright had been found guilty by a jury of a variety of drugs offences including possessing herojn and crack cocaine with intent to supply, being concerned in the supply of drugs to other people and possessing criminal property (£6,860 cash found in his home).
He had a previous conviction for similar drugs offences in June 2017 at Leeds Crown Court and had been sentenced to two years for that.
Mr McEntee said the attack on Daniel had been delivered with considerable force. “It was an assault by which the defendant intended to cause harm and he presented an enhanced threat as he was a professional boxer.”
He had made it plain that if he punched someone outside the ring he would expect them to go down. “He had a notably hard punch.”
His hands had been used as weapons and he said: "This was an assault delivered in anger. This was undoubtedly an assault committed as retribution because Mr Allsop had provided a faulty television as payment for a drug debt.
“He would not countenance someone ripping him off or trying to rip him off.”
Mr McEntee added that witnesses interviewed after assault had said “Blackpool had become a black spot with people out shopping within metres of people gathering to buy drugs.”
He said Wright, previously from Leeds, had come to Blackpool to deal drugs from his rented property in Central Drive. He occasionally employed a couple of runners to ferry drugs about between Blackpool and Preston, but it was largely a one-man business and his was the leading role, with a considerable financial gain.
Nicholas Corsellis KC, representing Wright, said he appreciated that whatever sentence is passed is nothing compared to the untimely loss and the devastating effect on Daniel’s family.
He said Wright was a “capable and intelligent” man who had been to university and had excelled as a boxer. His partner was a successful athlete and they were set on getting married.
So what had caused him to “descend into becoming a street level drug dealer?”
He revealed his mother and uncle had both died and that had taken “a massive toll” on his mental health.
“It was a tragic decision by him to engage in street level drug dealing and this awful episode,” he said. “It seems to have come from a period in his life where he was acting completely out of character.”
Those who knew him said he was a “friendly, thoughtful individual.” But he had lost everything by attacking Daniel.
Judge Altham said Daniel had been 38 at the time of his death and was a drug user. He had presented to those around him as “a mild-mannered, likeable and friendly man.” “But there was much more to Mr Allsop than that. He was clearly a precious member of his family.”
Wright, he said, had been a gifted and successful professional light-heavyweight boxer and, at the time of the attack, was coming towards the end of a year’s rehabilitation from injury and had been running on the beach at Blackpool as part of his recovery.
“You were in a strong physical condition,” he told him. “You weren’t interested in the matter (drugs debt) being settled, you were set on attacking Mr Allsop and maintaining your authority as a drug dealer. Assault was clearly on your mind.
“It was done in the course of your business. It was plain that as a drug dealer you needed to exert your authority on him.
“When you met him you set about Mr Allsop. You (were) at that time a strong athlete - even for a light-heavyweight your trainer said you had a strong punch.
“Mr Allsop was addicted to drugs and weighed about ten-and-a-half stones and was absolutely no match for you.
“It was done in the course of your business. It was plain that as a drug dealer you needed to exert your authority on him. For you it was strictly business.”
Wright will have to serve two thirds of his nine year sentence for manslaughter and then half of the five-and-a-half years for drugs offences, meaning he will remain behind bars for almost nine years in total.
A proceeds of crime investigation has begun into the profits made by Wright during his reign as a drugs dealer.