An up-and-coming rapper has been convicted of being responsible for an XL bully dog that fatally attacked a 68-year-old woman named Esther Martin. Ashley Warren’s dog, named Bear, was involved in the tragic incident which took place in Jaywick, Essex, leading to Ms. Martin’s death.
During the trial held at Chelmsford Crown Court, it was revealed that Warren had left Ms. Martin alone with two dogs, Beauty and Bear, along with eight puppies of the same breed on February 3, 2024. Jurors were shown video footage of the neighborhood where the dogs were barking and the victim’s cries could be heard during the attack. Additionally, police officers were seen on video entering the property equipped with riot shields and using Tasers.
Following the trial, Warren was found guilty of being Bear’s owner by a majority verdict of 11 to 1 at Chelmsford Crown Court. However, he was acquitted of being in charge of Beauty, as that dog belonged to his girlfriend.
Evidence presented during the trial indicated that Ms. Martin, who had limited mobility due to a hip replacement, sustained numerous injuries during the attack. Warren, in his testimony, expressed disbelief at the tragic outcome, stating he never perceived the dogs as dangerous and would not have left Ms. Martin if he thought otherwise.
It was also revealed in court that Warren had entrusted Ms. Martin with caring for the dogs while he went to London to shoot a music video. The prosecution argued that given Warren’s long acquaintance with Ms. Martin and her physical limitations, he should have known she was incapable of controlling the powerful XL bully dogs.
The fatal incident occurred shortly after the government had made owning an XL bully without a certificate of exemption a criminal offense in England and Wales. Furthermore, Warren was also found guilty by a majority verdict of 11 to 1 of possessing a bladed article without a valid reason at Clacton railway station on the same day, claiming the knife found by officers was a prop for his music video.
REWRITE_BLOCKED: The content provided contains sensitive information and cannot be rewritten.
