Tears as chip boss is cleared of wife’s boiling oil murder
A HUSBAND accused of burning his wife to death with scalding oil at their chip shop wept yesterday after being cleared of murder.
Geoffrey Bran, 71, had insisted wife Mavis had slipped after drinking red wine and pulled a deep fat fryer over herself.
Mrs Bran, 69, died in hospital six days after suffering horrific 46 per cent burns in October last year.
A crown court trial was told she had rung a friend after the incident claiming: “Geoff has thrown boiling oil over me. Please get here.”
But Mr Bran burst into tears as a jury cleared him of murder and manslaughter after five hours of deliberations.
Afterwards Mrs Bran’s sister Susan James said: “We are happy for Geoff. It was one of those situations. We’ve got the result he hoped for.”
Mr Bran stood beside a family spokeswoman on the steps of Swansea Crown Court as she said:
“As a family we would just like to thank everybody who has supported us.The loss of Mavis has left the family devastated.
“We ask we are left now to get on with our lives and grieve properly.”
Mrs Bran died from multi-organ failure after developing sepsis and hypothermia following surgery.
The couple ran The Chipoteria in a cabin beside their home in Hermon, Carmarthenshire, South Wales, but financial pressures caused arguments, the court heard.
Lodger Gareth Davies told the jury Mrs Bran came home naked from the waist up with “crimson” peeling skin shouting: “I’ve had boiling hot fat all over me.” Mrs Bran rang her friend Caroline Morgan, who told the court she had said: “I was nagging him and he flipped.”
When Mr Bran was arrested he denied he attacked his wife in a row over burned fish.
He told police: “She got burned with the fryer. She slipped and it came off the top and went over her. Don’t ask.”
Mr Bran suggested his wife was “halfway” to being drunk at the time. The trial heard she had a blood alcohol reading of 108mg, compared to the 80mg drink-drive limit.
Mr Bran said his wife was “confused” when blaming him but could not say why he ignored her for more than two hours after she was injured.