Woman dies after being mauled by two dogs in horror attack as man arrested
A woman has died after she was attacked by two dogs at a property in Jaywick, Essex.
Essex Police today announced a man has been arrested on suspicion of dangerous dogs offences after her death. Officers were called to Hillman Avenue, Jaywick shortly after 4pm yesterday and arrived to find 68-year-old Esther Martin "seriously injured" on the scene where she was later pronounced dead. Police this afternoon said local people tried to fight their way into the home where the retired Tesco worker was mauled to death.
Esther's daughter said her mum was visiting the house of the man who owned the dogs to see her 11-year-old grandson, who was in his care. Specialist officers ensured the scene was safe and there was no risk to the wider public. The two dogs were put down at the scene and the force said the breed of the dogs involved had not yet been confirmed but Esther's daughter Kelly Fretwell confirmed to the Mirror they were the recently banned breed XL Bully.
Kelly claims that there were eight XL Bullies present in the house — six puppies and the two adults who attacked the victim — when her mother was left there alone. A 39-year-old man from Jaywick remains in custody after he was arrested on suspicion of dangerous dog offences. Photos from the scene showed a very large police presence at the seafront address, with a helicopter and multiple vehicles as well as an ambulance.
Were you at the scene? Did you see what happened? If so, email [email protected].
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Esther Martin who was killed by dogs in Jaywick, Essex (JOHN McLELLAN)Chief Superintendent Glen Pavelin, of Essex Police, said there was a "familial relationship" between the victim and a 39-year-old man arrested on suspicion of dangerous dog offences. He told reporters outside Clacton police station: "I want to express my condolences to her family and friends, and we've got specially-trained officers supporting them."
Kelly Fretwell told the Mirror: “She [Esther] was amazing. She was retired and trying to bring her life back on track after the passing of my sister two years ago. She came to visit my nephew and now she is dead. We told him that they were dangerous. He said ‘Nobody can tell me what to do with my dogs.’ This is a very distressing time for our family. If someone knocked on your door at night to say that your mum had been mauled to death, would you believe them? There could have been two victims, my nephew has not only lost his mum and grandmother but he had to witness all this violence. He could have been killed as well."
Specialist officers ensured the scene was safe and there is no risk to the wider public. (Ed Schooling / facebook)Speaking to reporters, Esther's family said she was a retired Tesco worker and had four children. Her daughter Kelly Fretwell, 46, said she was a dedicated grandmother, who tried to see her grandson as often as she could. Esther has two other living children, aged 47 and 45. Since February 1, it has been a criminal offence to own an XL bully without an exemption certificate. Registered dogs must be kept on a lead and muzzled in public. The government says it received more than 35,000 applications for exemption.
Pavelin said: "My thoughts, and those of our officers and staff, are with the family of the woman who died yesterday. This incident will be a huge shock to the community and I understand their concerns. We’ll have officers in the area throughout today so please come and speak to them if you have any information or are worried. Experienced detectives are leading the investigation to identify exactly what has happened. I know there will be speculation about the breed of the dogs involved. We’re waiting for confirmation from experts about this before releasing further details and I’d ask people not to speculate. If anyone has any information about what has happened please contact us."
Jaywick is a seaside village that was built in the 1930s as a holiday resort for Londoners, but sadly after decades of austerity and spending cuts, it has become notorious for its social problems. The Essex village regularly tops the list of "most deprived parts of the UK" and was once featured in a controversial Channel 5 documentary.
A police helicopter arrived on the scene (Ed Schooling / facebook)The documentary Benefits by the Sea saw a TV crew following various jobless claimants and featured characters such as a pregnant heroin addict and a woman with confused.com tattooed on her forehead. Local resident Scott Michael, 38, told Mirror columnist Ros Wynne Jones in 2018: "We’re fed up of people saying we’re a shanty town. We’re a community."
If you have any information, CCTV, dash cam or other footage concerning the dog attack incident, then please get in contact with Essex Police and quote incident 723 of 3 February.
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