An aspiring rapper whose XL Bully dogs killed a grandmother has called for the breed to be wiped out.
Ashley Warren's dogs Bear and Beauty killed Esther Martin, 68, while looking after his 11-year-old boy, her grandson in Jaywick, Essex.
Warren, whose stage name is Wyless Man, told The Sun that Martin was looking after his son while he had travelled to London to film a rap video.
After previously describing the new XL Bully legislation as a "joke", he now said: "I couldn’t support them enough."
Ashley Warren, who performs under the name Wyless Man
PA/Facebook
He said: “Never in a million years did I see [the dogs] as a risk. If my dogs did that to her, when I had never seen anything but love from them, then that breed just has a killer switch.
"I honestly thought the ban was a stupid government plan to wipe out a breed which I had never seen anything but softness and love from. Now I think they need to be wiped out.
"Esther meant everything to my son and everything to me. I’m sorry for everyone’s loss, from the bottom of my heart."
The 39-year-old was held on suspicion of dangerous dog offences and released on bail. Both dogs were destroyed.
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Police officers attended the scene in Jaywick
PA
Esther's daughter, Sonia Martin, from Chesterfield, told the Daily Mail: "They were XL bullies. There were eight of them in the house, six puppies and two adults.
"Her grandson was in the house. He came running out shouting for help. We would like to thank all the neighbours who tried to help our mum."
Acting Detective Superintendent Stuart Truss said: "We’re making good progress in our investigation into Esther’s death. It is an investigation with a number of complexities, but we are determined to give Esther’s family the answers they need."
He added: "We are working with experts to confirm the breed of the dogs. This may take some days but it’s really important we get it right."
Experts say the XL Bully breed can often be hard to officially define. It is a variant of the American bully dog and XL refers to their size.
There are four categories: pocket, standard, classic and XL, the last of which tend to be around 33-50cm in height and weigh in at 20-60kg.
From December 31, 2023 it was illegal to breed, sell, advertise, exchange, gift, abandon or allow XL bully dogs to stray in England and Wales.
Owners of XL Bullies must keep their dogs on lead and muzzled while in public.
