A man has been charged in connection with the death of a woman who was fatally attacked by two XL bully dogs in Essex, in the first case since the breed was banned.
Esther Martin, 68, died after being attacked on 3 February at a house in Jaywick. 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 of a fighting dog.
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.
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. Ownership of the breed is restricted under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, and since 1 February 2024 it has been a criminal offence to own an XL bully without an exemption certificate.
The ban followed a sharp rise in fatal dog attacks, many involving XL bullies. The government initially estimated 10,000 XL bullies in the UK, later revised to about 50,000. Figures from a freedom of information request show 400 compensation claims for euthanasia of XL bullies since the ban, with £76,500 paid to owners.
