Chip fat horror
Husband held after scalding oil kills his wife at the popular takeaway they ran together
POLICE have arrested a chip shop owner for assault after his wife died in a horrific accident involving scalding hot fat.
Mavis Bran, 69, accidentally tipped gallons of superheated cooking oil over herself at the couple’s popular takeaway. Locals who heard her agonised screams say she grabbed at the handle of the fryer to stop herself falling over but ended up covered in oil at a temperature of 160C (320F). She suffered severe burns to 30 per cent of her body and died in hospital six days later. Police yesterday arrested her husband Geoff Bran, 70, on suspicion of assault over the tragedy. He was later released on bail and detectives say he is helping with the investigation. The couple were both behind the counter at the Chipoteria in the village of Hermon in West Wales when the incident happened at lunchtime on October 23. No customers were there at the time but villagers described hearing Mrs Bran screaming in pain before she passed out on the floor. Neighbour Vee Gower, 78, who had see her only 45 minutes earlier, said: ‘We heard she slipped and went to grab on to something. ‘She grabbed the deep fat fryer to save herself and tipped boiling fat all over her. ‘Her husband Geoff was beside her at the time. We don’t know exactly what happened.’ Mrs Gower said the couple, who both had grown-up children from earlier marriages were devoted to each other and she was not aware of any problems between them. She added: ‘We can’t believe it, Mavis was always so full of fun and lovely to everyone.’ Carmarthenshire councillor Irfon Jones added: She was a lovely ‘ lady – it is very tragic.’ The Brans had owned pubs and restaurants before they retired to a £600,000 eight-bedroom home in the Welsh countryside. But they came out of retirement to open a chip shop in a cabin next to their home when Mrs Bran complained that she was bored. Within weeks people were driving miles to sample her cooking and last month the quirky restaurant featured in a programme on Welsh TV channel S4C. Mrs Bran boasted on film that she cooked 122 portions of cod every week. ‘She was an amazing cook and fed some of the elderly folk here in the village,’ said Mrs Gower. ‘At Christmas she would have 15 family members around but she would cook enough for 50 people.’ Dyfed Powys Police said yesterday: ‘A 69-year- old woman was taken to Morriston Hospital in Swansea following an incident at the Chipoteria chip shop in Hermon, Carmarthenshire. ‘A 70-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assault in connection with the incident. He has been released on police bail pending further inquiries.’ Police want to speak to anyone who was at the cafe between 12pm and 3pm on the day concerned. A bunch of red and white carnations were left at Chipoteria yesterday next to a hand-written sign saying: ‘Closed due to illness’.