Aspiring rapper who left pensioner in charge of XL Bullies that mauled her to death faces jail after being convicted of dangerous dog offence

An aspiring rapper who left a frail pensioner in charge of two XL Bullies that mauled her to death was convicted of a dangerous dog offence today.

Ashley Warren, 41, arranged for Esther Martin, 68, to look after the animals, as well as eight puppies of the same breed, while he went to 'meet a lady friend'.

The fatal attack – which happened while a child was in the property – left 5ft 3in Ms Martin with 'dozens and dozens' of injuries including a bite through her right arm which severed an artery.

Police refused to enter the property when they arrived because of the ferocity of the dogs, which they tasered before shooting them.

Just two days earlier the Government had made it a criminal offence to own an XL Bully in England and Wales without a certificate of exemption.

Warren, who sat with his head bowed during parts of the trial, had not attempted to get a certificate for any of the ten dogs in the property, the court was told.

He had denied being the owner of a dog which caused injury resulting in death while dangerously out of control in a private place but was found guilty by a majority verdict of 11 to 1 after a two-week trial.

The offence carries a maximum jail term of 14 years.

The defendant, who wore a grey tracksuit in court, was acquitted of being in charge of another dog which caused injury resulting in death while dangerously out of control in a private place.

Judge Jeremy Johnson told him: 'I am going to grant you bail. You should be under no illusion that it is inevitable that I will pass on you a sentence of imprisonment.

‘It’s very important you attend court on the sentencing date and very important you keep in touch with your lawyers and stay in contact with the probation service.’

Warren was told he had to surrender his passport and was not allowed to leave the country between now and sentencing.

After the hearing, Ms Martin's brother, Charles Tarsey, said: ‘I’m very happy with the verdict.’

Warren declined to comment as he left the court. 

Opening the case at the beginning of the month, prosecutor Chris Paxton KC said the mauling in Jaywick, Essex, on February 3, 2024, was 'an accident waiting to happen' as Ms Martin had mobility issues, a lack of dog training and 'little to no experience' of being left alone with them for a prolonged period time.

'Ashley Warren expected Esther to be able to handle and control these two adult XL Bully dogs, as well as their eight puppies, with the weight, size, power and unpredictability they possessed, with no or minimal training,' he told Chelmsford Crown Court.

'Given Esther's age and her mobility issues, as well as other factors, Esther was clearly not a fit and proper person to look after these ten dogs in that situation but, no doubt, members of the jury, it suited this defendant to have her do so, so he could pursue his own agenda that day.

'It was, you may think, a tragedy waiting to happen, given the imbalance that arose between 68-year-old Esther, short in stature, and the towering power of these banned XL Bully dogs.'

He added: 'Such was the ferocity of the dogs that police officers and emergency services were unable to enter the home until the police deployed and used their tasers.'

An officer who went to the property said the dogs were 'in a frenzied state' and 'formed the view it was not safe to enter the house, believing that (police) were at risk of death or serious injury if they tried to enter', the prosecutor told jurors.

The dogs were owned by breeder Ashley Warren, a wannabe rapper who goes by the name Wyless Man (pictured)

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Two XL Bullies who mauled pensioner to death were 'loving, friendly, family dogs', owner tells court

The defendant's friend, Lee Poole, had arrived before emergency services and saw the two dogs attacking Ms Martin.

He smashed a window at the property but was unable to enter because the animals were out of control.

A child in the house bravely hit the dogs with a broom to try and stop them attacking Ms Martin, the court was told.

The gruesome scene unfolded moments after Ms Martin tried to separate two puppies that had been fighting, leaving one with a bloody ear.

During the commotion, the child said the female XL Bully, Beauty, and the male, Bear, knocked over a suitcase that was holding a door closed in a bedroom where they had been left and ran into the room.

In recorded interview with police, the child said: ‘Beauty and Bear knocked the suitcases over because the puppies had got into a fight.

‘The dogs have got out and the dogs have started barking… they think something has happened to the pups because she’s [Beauty's] protective of the pups.’

Ms Martin told the child, who can’t be identified for legal reasons, to grab a broom to push the pups apart - something they had done before, the jury heard.

XL Bullies Bear, left and Beauty were tasered and then shot by police, who refused to enter the property, the court heard

‘As soon as I got it to [her], Beauty ran and jumped on the [pen] gate and pushed Bear and [he] has hit [Esther] and she’s hit her head. She was bleeding from the head,’ said the child, who added Ms Martin had injured herself on the handle of a kitchen cabinet and called out ‘help me’.

‘I tried to get the broom and I started to get the dogs so I could put them back in the room, then once they were in the room I could call [for help].’

But the child eventually left because they feared they would be injured. They ran into their room to grab their mobile phone and ran outside to call for help before the front door blew shut, locking them out.

Bear and Beauty were generally ‘gentle with each other’, the child told officers, adding they had been knocked over ‘a couple of times’ and the pets would ‘barge through my legs’.

On other occasions they would ‘nibble’ the child, leaving red marks.

Ms Martin had only been left alone to look after the child and the dogs ‘for short periods’ previously, when Warren and his then girlfriend, Jade McSeveney, popped out to the shops.

‘She cannot handle the dogs. They only listen to me when I shout and tell them to lay down,’ the child added.

Warren, who now lives in Surrey, had admitted struggling with the pets in a message he sent four days before the fatal attack to Ms McSeveney, who had moved out by that point.

‘Dogs got to go by Monday. Your half [Beauty and half the pups]… or will have to go to RSPCA because too much for me,’ he wrote.

Warren had been in London with a female friend on the day of the attack

Ms McSeveney replied: ‘You coming for your half dogs? Too much for me now.’

In a message on the day of the attack, the defendant sent another text which said: ‘I need you to go round to the house to look after the dogs.

‘I need you round there straight away. They’re attacking Esther.’

The defendant was aware of the XL Bully ban, which had been widely covered in the press in the months prior, the court was told.

Police had visited the property 11 days earlier following a dispute between Warren and his ex-girlfriend Jade McSeveney about ownership of Beauty.

In bodycam footage shown to jurors, Warren was seen telling an officer 'it's a shame about the laws' and 'my boy's got papers already'.

Mr Paxton said: 'If that was a reference to an exemption certificate, that was a lie.'

The XL Bullies were seen playing in the footage as the defendant told the officer that the public perception of the breed was 'mad to me'.

Beauty, left, and Bear, right, fight over another toy with a pup in footage released by Essex Police

He added: 'These dogs are so friendly it's unbelievable, it's like I've only seen them ever attack people when (they're attacked).'

Warren continued: 'You get them little poodles that come up to you and go rah, rah, rah, you know - they're more aggressive.'

Jurors heard that on January 1 that year Warren told his landlord, Barry Gordon, that police were aware he kept XL Bullies.

He also lied to Mr Gordon by saying he had applied for a licence, the court heard.

Mr Paxton said a police dog handler who later visited the tiny chalet-style bungalow found it too messy and small for the two large adult dogs and the litter of puppies.

The police constable noted a blood and bite-mark covered wooden broom near the sofa, no dog toys, and that Bear's long claws 'suggested to him that the dogs do not get walked often', the prosecutor added.

Ms Martin had looked after the dogs four or five times previously but had told other people she was scared of them and had thought of reporting Warren for having them.

Ten officers, some in riot gear including helmets and shields, arrived at the house after she was attacked but were unable to save her. She was declared dead after she was taken out of the house.

Ms Martin was declared dead at the scene in Jaywick, Essex, after she was taken out of the house where she had been looking after the pets

A post-mortem examination found she had been bitten on the front and back of her arms, as well as on her torso, legs and head.

In other footage shown in court, Warren could be seen on a previous occasion running up the road outside the house and returning carrying the male, Bear, after he had escaped from the house.

The defendant, who was on bail, had denied being the owner of a dog, namely Bear, which caused injury resulting in death while dangerously out of control in a private place.

He also pleaded not guilty to being in charge of female Beauty when she caused injury resulting in death while dangerously out of control in a private place.

The prosecution explained Warren had accepted that he owned Bear and was in charge of Beauty – who was pregnant with Bear's pups and who he had been housing, feeding and looking after.

He also accepted that both dogs were dangerously out of control in his house.

But the defendant denied the charges on the grounds that he reasonably believed Ms Martin was a 'fit and proper person to be in charge' of them.

Warren was also convicted by a majority of 11 to 1 of having a bladed article without good reason or lawful authority at Clacton railway station on February 3, 2024.

Warren, shown as he was being arrested, claimed the dogs had been properly registered

He argued that it was a prop in a music video which he had been making that day in London with his female friend.

Detective Chief Inspector Louise Metcalfe, who led the Essex Police investigation, said: 'I am pleased that we have been able to ensure Ashley Warren has been held accountable but I know that no verdict will ever bring Esther back.

'I know her death has had, and continues to have, a huge impact on her family, and my thoughts are with them today as they continue to grieve the loss of their mother.

'Esther’s death was a needless tragedy and one that has affected the whole community in Jaywick.

'These animals we were able to prove were large, powerful, and difficult to control. Esther died in the most horrific of circumstances and Ashley Warren is culpable for her death.

'Our investigation established Warren was illegally owning the dogs, keeping them in poor conditions and struggling to look after them.

'He knew Esther well. He would have been aware of her mobility and health issues, and that if he struggled to control the dogs, she definitely would do too.

'His assertion that Esther had looked after the animals before was disingenuous because he knew she had never cared for them without another adult present.

'He selfishly took advantage of her good nature and left her with dangerous animals. That decision, ultimately, cost Esther her life.'

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