Boy, 11, 'ran shouting for help' as his gran was savaged to death by two dogs

04 February 2024 , 12:36

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Boy, 11, 'ran shouting for help' as his gran was savaged to death by two dogs

An 11-year-old boy was desperately heard "shouting for help" as his grandmother was mauled to death by two dogs yesterday, it has been revealed.

A man has been arrested on suspicion of dangerous dog offences after the death of Esther Martin, 68, Essex Police today announced. Officers were called to Hillman Avenue in Jaywick shortly after 4pm yesterday and arrived to find the retired Tesco worker "seriously injured" on the scene where she was later pronounced dead. 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.

The mother of four was visiting the seaside village from London to see her eleven-year-old grandson. The boy is believed to have seen the tragedy unfold as he came out "shouting for help" when the attack happened, the family have said. Esther's daughter Sonia Martin said the family found out at 10pm last night when police visited her Chesterfield home. She said her mother had previously told the dogs' owner that they were dangerous and that the two animals involved in the fatal attack were XL Bullies.

Esther's other daughter Kelly Fretwell confirmed that the dogs involved in the attack were of the recently banned breed XL Bully. She 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. 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.

Kelly 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. Kelly told the Mirror: “She 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.’

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A large police presence was seen at the seafront address (Ed Schooling / facebook)

Sonia told MailOnline: "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." Police this afternoon said local people tried to fight their way into the home where the retired Tesco worker was mauled to death.

Police have been carrying out enquiries to establish the circumstances which led up to the incident but believe "two dogs had assaulted her." 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 — urging people not to speculate.

Chief Superintendent Glen 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.

Esther Martin, who was killed by dogs in Jaywick, Essex (JOHN McLELLAN)

"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.

Adam Aspinall