Man denies owning or being in charge of XL bully dogs which killed woman in Essex
19 September 2024, 10:50 | Updated: 19 September 2024, 15:07
A man has denied owning or being in charge of two XL bully dogs which killed a woman.
Ashley Warren, 40, appeared in court on Thursday charged with offences relating to the dogs - Beauty and Bear - which killed 68-year-old Esther Martin in Jaywick, Essex, in February.
The medical cause of her death was recorded as "dog bite wounds to the upper right limb".
The defendant, from east London, wore a brown shirt and black trousers as he appeared in the dock at Chelmsford Crown Court.
He pleaded not guilty to being the owner of a dog which caused injury resulting in death while dangerously out of control in a private place, namely an XL bully named Bear, and pleaded not guilty to being in charge of a dog which caused injury resulting in death while dangerously out of control in a private place, namely an XL bully called Beauty.
Warren also pleaded not guilty to having a bladed article.
The case was the first to be charged since new laws on owning XL bullies came into force earlier this year, Essex Police said.
An inquest hearing was told Ms Martin was found unresponsive inside a property and had sustained "unsurvivable" dog bite wounds.
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Two dogs were destroyed at the scene and they were later confirmed by Essex Police to be XL bullys.
Warren was given conditional bail and a trial was fixed for August 2025.
(c) Sky News 2024: Man denies owning or being in charge of XL bully dogs which killed woman in Essex
