British rapper facing jail time after his 10XL dogs mauled grandmother who was looking after them

An aspiring rapper whose XL bully dogs mauled a pensioner to death is facing jail after being found guilty at Chelmsford Crown Court.Ashley Warren, 41, left 68-year-old Esther Martin at his home in Jaywick, Essex, with 10 dogs on February 3, 2024 , two days after the breed was banned in the UK. Mrs Martin suffered dozens and dozens of bite wounds, including one that completely fractured her arm. Jurors heard that police officers equipped with riot shields had to deploy tasers on the animals before it was considered safe enough to enter the property.Prosecutors described her death as a tragedy waiting to happen. Warren was found guilty of owning an XL bully named Bear which caused injury resulting in death while dangerously out of control in a private place. He was cleared of being in charge of another XL bully, Beauty, which also injured Mrs Martin.Jurors were shown Ring doorbell footage from days before the fatal attack showing Warren struggling to pull one of the adult dogs back to the property after it escaped. Prosecutor Chris Paxton KC told the court: If the defendant struggled, how would the 5ft 3in 68-year-old Esther Martin cope with these XL bully dogs? He said the combined weight of the pack was between 180kg and 190kg and described the animals as unpredictable, towering, muscular. In old money thats about 26 to 28 stone, not of static Roman statues but living, writhing, fighting dogs, he added.The court heard Mrs Martin had restricted movement following a hip replacement, as well as arthritis and a limp. Mr Paxton said it was ludicrous to suggest she was a fit and proper person to control the dogs.Warren, now of Addlestone, Surrey, had asked Mrs Martin to look after the animals so he could travel to London to film a music video. Prosecutors said she had little to no experience of being left alone with the dogs for a prolonged period.Mr Paxton told jurors: 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.Given Esthers age and her mobility issues, as well as other factors, Esther was clearly not a fit and proper person to look after these 10 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 attending officer described the dogs as being in a frenzied state and said they 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.Giving evidence, Warren said he never thought in a million years that the loving, friendly dogs would attack someone. They werent raised to attack or bite, he told the court. I never seen this coming in a million years. I would never have left Esther with the dogs if I thought they were dangerous. He added: She knew the dogs. I never thought for one second this would happen. They were always loving dogs.Defence barrister Allan Compton KC asked him: Knowing then you cannot walk them unless theyre neutered, muzzled and leashed, why didnt you get on with it?Warren replied: Im on PIP (benefits), most of the times if I want something I have to save for it. I cant just go and get it. I dont have a lot of money. Mr Paxton suggested the cost of a muzzle was around 20, to which Warren responded: I know the price of a muzzle, I know they were cheap. Asked about the price of his train ticket to London, Warren said: 40.Warren was also convicted of possessing a bladed article without good reason or lawful authority at Clacton railway station on February 3, 2024. He accepted having a knife but claimed it was a prop for a music video filmed that day in London. He now faces sentencing at a later date.The post British rapper facing jail time after his 10XL dogs mauled grandmother who was looking after them appeared first on Linda Ikeji Blog.