Pet python may have crushed owner to death
POLICE are investigating whether a man was killed by his pet python after he was found dead next to the snake.
Dan Brandon, an experienced snake handler, was found with serious injuries at his home in Church Crookham, Hamps police said.
The 31-year-old is believed to have lived with his parents and was discovered in his bedroom, where he kept his pets, on Aug 25.
One of his snakes was outside its pen when his body was found by officers.
It is thought that the python crushed him to death. An officer for North Hampshire Coroner’s Court said: “We have established that the cause of death was asphyxia.”
She added that all the evidence would be heard by Andrew Bradley, the coroner, in the next few days before a conclusion was made.
A Hampshire Police spokesman confirmed that officers were carrying out inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the death, and it was not being treated as suspicious.
A source close to the investigation told the Sun: “It is under investigation whether the snake was involved. The death is in an investigation stage between natural causes and an inquest. Investigators are waiting for the full toxicology results and reports to come back from a postmortem.” Pythons, which can grow up to 25ft long, are nonvenomous, but have been known to attack people. If it is confirmed the snake is behind Mr Brandon’s death, experts believe it would be the first case of its kind in Britain.
Mr Brandon regularly posted photos of himself on social media with his pets.