The surprising truth about the giant mastiff that fought the Queen’s son as it savaged his Jack Russell Maud

The Cane Corso that savagely attacked the Queen’s son’s Jack Russell was guarding the £30million mansion owned by the glamorous ex-wife of a controversial Chinese mining tycoon, the Daily Mail can reveal.

Two-year-old terrier Maud, owned by Tom Parker Bowles, had to fight for her life after a 10-stone mastiff mauled her in Kensington High Street last Thursday.

Mr Parker Bowles told how he had to wrestle the beast on the pavement as it clamped its jaws around Maud’s ‘soft white belly’ and shook her like prey.

She only managed to save him after kicking the mastiff ‘in the balls’, then jumped into a taxi to take him to the vet – he was so shaken he didn’t even get the handler’s name.

But an investigation by the Daily Mail tracked the beast to a luxury mansion on one of Britain’s most expensive streets, where Chinese businesswoman Maria Leung keeps two Cane Corsos as guard animals.

Leung, 56, began her career presenting financial releases on Hong Kong television, then moved into corporate public relations work and eventually into an advisory role at Cayman-registered mining company CST Group, which is controlled by her 70-year-old billionaire ex-husband Chiu Tao.

Ms Leung Cheuk Chi was unavailable for comment last night.

Speaking on the intercom of his white-fronted mansion, a man living on the property said: ‘He’s not here. ‘I’m sorry, I have no right to say anything.’

Little Maud is recovering at home from horrific injuries following the attack in Kensington, London

Picture: Greyhound owner Chinese businesswoman Maria Leung

Land records show that he bought the mansion in 2021 for £30 million.

He immediately embarked on an extensive overhaul of the property, excavating a large basement to create extra living space and a private swimming pool.

Plans seen by the Mail also show a new garden conservatory, a purpose-built garage block with its own vehicle access and a series of structural changes transforming the house into a full luxury compound.

A Mail reporter this week saw a maid repeatedly lead the massive mastiff in and out of the four-storey property.

Photos taken at the home show the Italian mastiff involved in the attack on Maud, according to eyewitnesses who saw the footage and immediately recognized the dog.

Local walkers say the greyhounds are well-known in the area as guard dogs kept in the resort’s walled garden.

The handler, who was seen with the animal at the time of the injury, was seen taking Corso out this week, usually accompanied by another staff member.

Mr. Chiu, who has since remarried, has long had a powerful but controversial presence in Hong Kong’s financial sector, overseeing a series of aggressive mining acquisitions and repeatedly clashing with minority shareholders.

Picture: Chinese businesswoman’s mansion bought for £30 million in 2021

A man was photographed walking the beast that attacked Parker Bowles’ pet dog Maud

Tom and Maud before the attack last week

CCTV captures moment as people in High St Kensington watch in horror

He was publicly censured by the Hong Kong stock exchange in 2000 after regulators found that he had failed to inform shareholders of a major change in how his company’s IPO proceeds were used; this violation also triggered sanctions for each executive.

Since then, the corporate empire has been marked by restructurings, shareholder fights and a bankruptcy petition that was later quashed; CST, however, continued to expand under changing leadership teams that often included relatives and close associates.

In February this year, the company’s Canadian arm was fined for leaking 1.1 million liters of mine-contaminated wastewater into Alberta’s Smoky River in 2023.

Company records show CST owns around £19m of property in Scotland and generates rent of around £1.6m a year.

The house dog is usually seen being walked by a slightly built Chinese man, often accompanied by someone else. The two are assumed to be staff at the newly renovated house.

The dog was seen being taken out by the same walker on Wednesday afternoon. When asked about the attack, he said ‘no comment’.

A regular dog walker in the area said he recognized the cane Corso and avoided it.

He said: ‘We come here every day, all the dog walkers know the dog and we tend to avoid him.’

The person walking the dog said that a Bernese mountain dog also lived in the same house, but that it was ‘fine’.

CCTV of the attack shows stunned passersby watching in horror as Maud screams off camera as the mastiff sheds tears at her.

Food and restaurant critic Parker Bowles first described the attack on Maud in an Instagram post last Friday, then wrote a more comprehensive account published by the Daily Mail on Tuesday.

Maud’s wounds were cleaned and she was given antibiotics and painkillers before undergoing surgery at the Village Vet practice in Chiswick.

Bowles was forced to wrestle the beast on the pavement as it clamped its jaws around Maud’s ‘soft white belly’

Tom and Maud are now on the mend, though not yet fully back on track

He then spent two days recovering at another training session in Hammersmith before being allowed home.

Parker Bowles said he “firmly believes there is no such thing as a bad dog, only a bad owner” and that he does not want the dog responsible to be punished.

But he called for restrictions on Cane Corso-style dogs, saying: ‘But what I want is for these big, strong and often beautiful dogs to be muzzled in public places. Is this too much to ask?’

He added: ‘I do not want the dog that attacked Maud to be killed, nor do I want to press charges. Emergency vet care isn’t cheap but I’m lucky Maud is covered by Petplan.

‘I’m definitely not a fan of ad-hoc laws, banning or eradicating certain races. I prefer to put the responsibility on the owner.

‘If you cannot control your dogs, train them, walk them and care for them properly, you have no right to own a dog. ‘It’s that simple.’

‘These are dogs bred to protect cattle from wandering wolves. They are intelligent, sophisticated killers and are completely outside their natural habitat on the high street of central London.

‘I’ve seen what they can do to a little dog. God only knows what they could do to a little child.’

He described how Maud was ‘recovering’ but faced a ‘long and painful road to recovery’ and may need further surgery.

Parker Bowles concluded his account by saying: ‘If even a single dog, which would have been dangerous because of Maud’s terrible attack, was muzzled, it would not have suffered in vain.’

An eyewitness who watched the attack take place outside the stationery shop while Ryman was taking a cigarette break said: ‘It was clear that the man walking the large black dog was not able to control it properly.

‘The little dog could have easily been torn to pieces. When he was finally released, his owner picked him up, hailed a taxi and left.

‘The man walking the big dog did not leave immediately. I challenged him to control the dog properly and he said nothing, just grinned. I’m glad your little dog is recovering.’

Cane Corsos are increasingly referred to as ‘status dogs’ since it became illegal to own an XL Bully breed without an exemption certificate in 2023.

People allowed to own an XL Bully are required by law to muzzle the dog in public, but there is currently no legal requirement to muzzle Cane Corsos despite the frequent attacks the breed suffers from.

In September, Conservative MP Gregory Stafford asked whether the breed should be banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act, but the Government said it had no such plans.