Man charged after fatal XL Bully attack in Essex
Esther Martin, 68, was visiting her grandson in Jaywick when she was fatally attacked, just 2 days after new XL bully laws came into force across the UK
Last updated 25th Jul 2024
A man has been charged with being the owner of two XL bully dogs which mauled a grandmother to death in Essex.
Essex Police said it is the first case to be charged since new laws on owning XL bullies came into force earlier this year.
Esther Martin, 68, was savaged to death by two XL bullies when she was visiting her grandson in Jaywick on February 3 2024.
An inquest hearing was told she was found unresponsive inside a property in Hillman Avenue and had sustained "unsurvivable" dog bite wounds.
Her medical cause of death was recorded as "dog bite wounds to the upper right limb".
Essex Police said that Ashley Warren has been charged with two counts of owning or being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control causing injury resulting in death.
The 40-year-old, from Walnut Road in Leyton, east London, was also charged with: two counts of possession or having custody of a fighting dog; two offences under the Animal Welfare Act; possession of a bladed article, and possession of a Class B drug.
Two dogs were destroyed at the scene and were later confirmed by Essex Police to be XL bullies.
Warren is due to appear before Colchester Magistrates' Court on August 22.
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