Man charged over fatal attack by two XL bully dogs in Essex

A man has been charged over the death of a woman who was fatally injured by two XL bully dogs, in the first case of its kind since the dogs were banned.

Esther Martin, 68, died after being attacked on 3 February at a house in Jaywick, Essex.

Essex police said Ashley Warren, 40, was charged on Thursday with two counts of owning or being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control causing injury resulting in death, and two counts of possession or having custody of a fighting dog.

Essex police confirmed it was the first case to be charged since new laws on owning XL bullies in England and Wales came into force on 1 February.

Warren, formerly of Hillman Avenue, Jaywick, also faces two charges under the Animal Welfare Act, and single counts of possession of a bladed article and possession of a Class B drug. He is due to appear at Colchester magistrates court on 22 August.

Ownership of American XL bullies is restricted under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. Since 1 February 2024, it has been a criminal offence to own an XL bully without an exemption certificate.

The ban on the breed came into force this year after a sharp rise of fatal dog attacks, many involving XL bullies, in the UK.

There are no official figures for the number of XL bullies in the UK, but data shows that previous estimates have been too low. The government said there were thought to be 10,000, a figure increased to about 50,000 earlier this year.

Dogs are considered XL bullies if they meet the minimum height and a substantial number of other characteristics such as head size and body size and shape.

Richard Baker, an NHS consultant, said the dogs’ powerful jaws inflicted more damaging wounds than those of other breeds, resulting in broken bones, shredded skin and damaged nerves.

“It’s a crushing or a tearing injury,” he told the BBC. “Once they grip, they don’t let go.”

Figures released through a freedom of information request show that 400 compensation claims have been made for the euthanasia of XL bully dogs in England and Wales since the ban came in to force. In total, £76,500 has been paid to owners who opted to have their pets put down.