Ashley Warren is on trial at Chelmsford Crown Court accused of owning or being in charge of two XL bully dogs that killed pensioner Esther Martin, 68, in Jaywick, Essex
A pensioner with limited mobility was left to care for a group of 10 XL bully dogs weighing 28st in total, before she was tragically killed,. Ashley Warren is currently facing trial at Chelmsford Crown Court, accused of owning or being responsible for two XL bully dogs that fatally attacked 68-year-old Esther Martin, in what has been labelled a “tragedy waiting to happen”.
Warren, aged 41, left Ms Martin with the two adult dogs, named Beauty and Bear, along with eight puppies of the same breed, at his residence on Hillman Avenue in Jaywick, Essex, on February, 3 2024.
The jury had previously heard that the aspiring rapper had requested Ms Martin, who stood at 5ft 3in, to look after the animals whilst he travelled to London to shoot a music video.
In his closing remarks on Monday, prosecutor Chris Paxton KC stated that Ms Martin had “restricted” mobility due to a hip replacement, arthritis and a limp, making it a “ludicrous suggestion” to consider her a “fit and proper person” to manage the dogs.
He highlighted that the “combined weight of the pack” ranged from 180kg to 190kg, describing the dogs as “unpredictable, towering, muscular” creatures.
“In old money that’s about 26 to 28 stone, not of static Roman statues but living, writhing, fighting dogs. Dogs described by the defendant as ‘bouncy’,” he added.
The court heard that the two adult dogs weighed 39kg and 47kg respectively, and each of the eight puppies weighed between 10kg to 12kg.
Given that Warren had known Ms Martin for over 12 years, he would have been aware of her mobility issues and had “no basis” to believe she could “physically stop the dogs”, Mr Paxton stated.
“The defendant is responsible as the owner of Bear, and being in charge of Beauty, because no-one, no-one could reasonably believe that Esther Martin was a fit and proper person.
“No-one would reasonably believe that Esther could control those dogs with the physicality and power that they clearly possessed, never mind the fact that there was not just one adult XL bully dog but two, with eight puppies in tow.
“Such was the ferocity of the dogs that police officers were unable to enter the home until they had deployed the Tasers, entering not just with Tasers but with shields,” the prosecutor added.
Jurors heard Ms Martin sustained a minimum of 60 mostly dog-related injuries before her death and that the animals had not been walked for four weeks prior to the attack.
Allan Compton KC, defending, said there was “no evidence that those dogs were ever aggressive to any human being” other than an incident where Bear “nipped” a neighbour who had “smacked him on the nose”.
He stated: “With all breeds you can have good dogs and you can have bad dogs and what is far more important, we suggest, is the consistent behaviour of the dogs or a dog over the months and years.
“With Beauty and Bear, there was not a single incident of concern,” he added.
The savage attack occurred just two days after the Government criminalised owning an XL bully in England and Wales without a certificate of exemption.
Warren, currently residing in Addlestone, Surrey, has entered a plea of not guilty to being the owner of a dog named Bear which caused injury resulting in death whilst dangerously out of control in a private place, and to being a person in charge of a dog named Beauty which did the same.
He has also refuted charges of possessing a bladed article without good reason or lawful authority at Clacton railway station on 3 February 2024.
The defendant, dressed in a pink shirt, sat in the dock with his head lowered during Monday’s hearing.
The trial continues.