A dog owner has been charged over the death of a London great-grandmother killed by two XL Bullies in the first case of its kind since a ban on owning the dogs came into force this year.
Esther Martin, 68, from Woodford Green, had been attacked at a property in Hillman Avenue in Jaywick, near Clacton, Essex while looking after her 11-year-old grandson on February 3.
On Thursday Essex Police said Ashley Warren, 40, of Walnut Road, Leyton, north east London, has been charged 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 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 Thursday August 22.
Warren is the father of Ms Martin’s grandson.
Police confirmed it was the first case since new laws on owning XL Bullies came into force on February 1.
The fatal attack of retired Tesco worker Mrs Martin took place days after a ban on unregistered XL Bully dogs came into force following a series of maulings.
An inquest hearing was told that Mrs Martin had sustained “unsurvivable” dog bite wounds.
Her medical cause of death was recorded as “dog bite wounds to the upper right limb”.
Two dogs were destroyed at the scene and later confirmed to be XL Bullies.
