XL Bullies owner who wanted 'breed to be wiped out' in change of heart charged over death of gran

A man has been charged by police over the death of grandmother Esther Martin, who was killed by two XL Bully dogs, in a landmark case.

68-year-old Martin had been watching her 11-year-old grandson at a house in Jaywick, Essex this February when she was attacked. Neighbours attempted to intervene to save Ms Martin's life after hearing screaming coming from the property but were unable to help. She would later die at the scene.

The landmark case has seen 40-year-old rapper Ashley Warren today charged (25 July) 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.

Warren is the first person to be charged since the new laws on owning XL Bullies came into force on 1 February.

68-year-old Esther Martin. (PA/ Family Handout)

He 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 and is due to appear in court next month.

According to a previous report by ITV, Martin was at the property in Jaywick to look after her grandson - whose father is Warren - while the rapper was away in London to film a music video.

Warren had previously been against the new restrictions on XL Bullies, however he has since changed his mind on the matter and now wants to see the entire breed 'wiped out'.

"Never in a million years did I see [the dogs] as a risk," he said in an interview with The Sun.

"If my dogs did that to her, when I had never seen anything but love from them, then that breed just has a killer switch."

He continued: "I honestly thought the ban was a stupid government plan to wipe out a breed which I had never seen anything but softness and love from. Now I think they need to be wiped out.

"Esther meant everything to my son and everything to me. I’m sorry for everyone’s loss, from the bottom of my heart."

Rapper Ashley Warren now supports the ban. (Facebook/ Ashley Warren)

The ban on XL Bully dogs was introduced at the start of the year by former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Under the new guidelines it is now illegal to sell, gift, exchange, breed or abandon these dogs.

XL Bully owners are also required to keep their dogs on a lead and muzzled while walking them in public.