Snake owner strangled by pet python is first in Britain to be killed by breed

An animal lover realized pointless at his house used to be killed by an 8ft pet python who « used to be his child », a inquest heard.

Reptile fanatic Dan Brandon, 31, died of asphyxiation at his house in Church Crookham, Hampshire, on August 25 2017.

Following his death, Hampshire Police confirmed officers had launched an investigation.

This day, coroner Andrew Bradley recorded a verdict of misadventure and determined an African rock python, referred to as Minute, had seemingly precipitated Mr Brandon’s death.

The 31-year-former’s mum, Babs Brandon, suggested Basingstoke Coroners’ Court docket the snake cherished her son, used to be his « child », and he by no map felt threatened despite shimmering how strong she used to be.

Mrs Brandon acknowledged her son kept 10 snakes and 12 tarantulas in his room on the family house and got Minute when she used to be sufficiently small to verify in his hand.

Coroner Andrew Bradley acknowledged: « Doubtlessly the seemingly field is that Minute used to be engaged with Dan – I invent not comprise any doubt about that.

« She used to be coiling spherical him, at which level I invent not comprise any belief. There used to be a level at which either she takes aid of him all straight away or journeys him up or one other mechanism. »

Mr Bradley acknowledged the snake then hid, doubtlessly « attributable to of the shock of him falling or attributable to of his response ».

He added Mr Brandon used to be asphyxiated « attributable to contact with Minute », and that he « cannot peep any other reason » for the death.

The animal lover continually posted photos of himself with huge snakes on social media, including snaps with a Burmese python.

Even though pythons comprise been to blame for the death of humans in other locations, there has by no map been a case of 1 killing an person in Britain until now.

In September closing year, for the length of the inquest opening, a spokesman for Basingstoke coroners living of enterprise acknowledged: « It has changed into known that the reason in the encourage of death used to be asphyxiation. »

When requested whether or not a snake used to be alive to, the spokesman acknowledged « that truth is quiet to be determined » as segment of the total hearing in November.

A JustGiving web train living up in Mr Brandon’s honour is to expand cash for the World Huge Fund for Nature

A biography on the positioning reads: « Now we comprise struggled, when hunting for photos for his funeral, to procure any when he isn’t holding a spider, snake, small rooster, toad, sluggish worm, hedgehog, feeding a fox, stroking cattle, befriending a cat or canines, so these charities regarded the preferrred alternative. »

A spokesman for Hampshire Police acknowledged previously: « We were referred to as to an tackle in Church Crookham. A 31-year-former man had suffered severe injuries and died on the scene.

« The death just will not be being handled as suspicious at this stage. »