A French mastiff, part of a pack which mauled a pensioner to death last year will be destroyed, a judge has ruled.

Gloria Knowles, 71, was savagely killed in her daughter's back garden in Rutland Drive, Morden, on October 30th 2012.

Three of the dogs involved in the frenzied attack - another French mastiff, a female American bulldog and a male Alapaha blue blood bulldog - all owned by the grandmother's daughter Beverly Mason, have previously been destroyed at the behest of the police.

On Wednesday Ms Mason's ex husband Dylan Mason, who found Ms Knowles brutally mauled, was banned from keeping dogs for five years at Wimbledon Magistrates Court.

He also learned his dog Ranger will be put down after being kept in police custody since the attack.

District Judge Sheila Bayne told Mr Mason: "You are a man who has a history of violence.

"When you arrived at the address and saw what had happened to Gloria Knowles you tried to strangle one of the dogs.

"I'm not satisfied you can keep Ranger under control.

"You showed a lack of insight when you kept a female on heat with two unneutered males in the first place."

Ranger was accused by police investigators of inflicting one of 11 bite marks found on Mrs Knowles.

Speaking last month, Mr Mason said of Ranger: "He’s one of those dogs that would just lollop about.

"He was slobbery and he would come up and lick you and was a very placid kind of dog."

He added: "Whatever part he played it was probably totally minimal, if any.

"He’s not a danger to the public and he never has been and I don’t believe he ever will be.

"I just think he was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

At the hearing, lawyer Tina Hay, working on Mr Mason's behalf, had attempted to persuade the judge Ranger was a "placid" animal who would "flight rather than fight" and suggested Mr Mason was willing to give up ownership if the dog could be kept at a dogs home.

Judge Bayne was unconvinced and ordered unemployed Mr Mason to pay £500 in costs and ordered Ranger's destruction.