By Ben Kerrigan-
An aspiring UK rapper has been found guilty at Chelmsford Crown Court of owning a dangerously out-of-control XL bully dog that mauled a 68-year-old grandmother to death in what prosecutors described as a “needless tragedy” and a “tragedy waiting to happen.”
Ashley Warren, 41, was convicted on Thursday of the offence relating to an XL bully named Bear, which attacked and killed Esther Martin at his then home in Jaywick, Essex, on 3 February 2024, just two days after new laws came into force making it illegal to own XL bullies in England and Wales without a certificate of exemption.
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Warren, who has pursued a career in rap music, left Ms Martin — a frail pensioner with limited mobility following a hip replacement — in charge of two adult XL bullies and eight puppies while he travelled to London to film a music video, jurors heard.
CCTV played during the trial captured the dogs barking and the terrified screams of Ms Martin and a child inside the property before emergency services entered. The pensioner suffered “dozens and dozens” of mostly dog-related injuries, including a bite that tore through the tissue of her arm and a complete fracturing of bone, prosecutors said.
Police officers were forced to use tasers and riot shields to gain access, such was the ferocity of the animals, and both adult dogs — Bear and another called Beauty — were put down at the scene.
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While the jury found Warren guilty of the charge involving Bear, he was cleared on the count relating to Beauty. He was also convicted of possessing a knife without lawful authority at a Clacton railway station on the same day, in a separate offence.
In evidence, Warren had insisted the dogs were “loving … friendly … family dogs” and said he “never saw anything like this happening in a million years”, telling the court he would not have left Ms Martin alone with them had he thought they were dangerous.
In a statement, Assistant Chief Constable Glen Pavelin of Essex Police paid tribute to Ms Martin, describing her as “selfless and devoted” and saying her death had “left a huge void” in her family’s lives. He added that Warren knew of her health and mobility issues but nonetheless left her alone with powerful and difficult-to-control animals.
Warren will return to court for sentencing on 1 April. The case has drawn attention as the first fatal XL bully attack to be prosecuted since the breed was banned without exemption in England and Wales — highlighting concerns over public safety and responsible dog ownership.
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