Rapper charged with dangerous dogs offences after XL Bullies maul grandmother to death
25 July 2024, 15:20 | Updated: 25 July 2024, 15:30
A rapper has been charged with dangerous dogs offences after two XL Bullies killed a grandmother who was looking after it at home.
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Ashley Warren, 40, is accused of two counts of owning a dangerously out of control dog, causing the death of Esther Martin, 68 in Essex earlier this year.
He was also charged with two counts of possession of a fighting dog, two counts under the animal welfare act, and knife and drug possession offences.
This is the first case to be charged since new laws on owning XL Bullies came into force this year.
Police discovered Ms Martin, 68 unresponsive inside a property in Jaywick in Essex on February 3. She was visiting her 11-year-old grandson.
Coroner's officer Andy Flack said police were called to a disturbance at the address in Hillman Avenue, where they found Ms Martin unresponsive with "unsurvivable" injuries, along with two large dogs.
Ms Martin was staying at the address but lived in Woodford Green in east London.
Ms Martin was pronounced dead at 4.47pm that afternoon, with her medical cause of death recorded as "dog bite wounds to the upper right limb".
Ms Martin had reportedly tried to break up fighting dogs before she was attacked. Two dogs were destroyed at the scene and were later confirmed by Essex Police to be XL Bullies.
A man was arrested in connection with the investigation later that day.
Warren is due to appear at Colchester Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 22 August.
