A man has appeared in court facing a series of dangerous dog offences after a grandmother was fatally attacked by XL bullies.

Esther Martin, 68, was visiting a property in Jaywick, near Clacton-on-Sea in Essex, on 3 February when she was killed.

Ashley Warren, 40, is alleged to have been in charge of the “dangerously out of control” dogs called Beauty and Bear, Colchester Magistrates’ Court heard.

The defendant, previously of Hillman Avenue, Jaywick, entered no plea to the charges and will appear before Chelmsford Crown Court on 19 September.

The dogs were destroyed at the scene by attending officers from Essex Police.

Mr Warren was the first person to be charged with related offences after the XL bully breed was banned in England on 1 February.

During the brief hearing earlier, Mr Warren, now of Walnut Road, Leyton, east London, entered no plea to charges of failing to ensure the dogs’ welfare, having custody of fighting dogs and possessing a knife.

An inquest hearing on 22 February was told Ms Martin was found unresponsive inside a property in Hillman Avenue and had sustained “unsurvivable” dog bite wounds.

Her medical cause of death was recorded as “dog bite wounds to the upper right limb”.

Speaking in February, Ch Supt Stuart Weaver thanked members of the public who “bravely tried to save Esther before our officers arrived on scene”.

“What you did was hugely courageous and a reflection of the values of the community of Jaywick,” he said.

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