Mother saved 8ft snake that killed her son

A MOTHER has disclosed that she saved the 8ft snake that killed her son.

Barbara Brandon, whose 31-year-old son Daniel died in August from asphyxiation at his home near Basingstoke, Hants, has said she continued to care for the pet snake since her son’s death because that was what he would have wanted.

In an interview with the BBC, Mrs Brandon said she had now donated the African rock python, named Tiny, to the National Reptile Welfare Centre in Kent.

Describing the moments leading up to her son’s death, Mrs Brandon said: “He came in, shouted ‘hello’ and went upstairs as he normally did and I heard a big crash. It was quite a loud bang but I didn’t hear any shouts.

“So my husband said, ‘I’ll go up’ and a couple of minutes later he shouted me and said ‘I can’t wake him up’.

“So I went and got the phone and dialled 999. The paramedics came and found Dan unconscious and I said, ‘Be straight with me, is he going to make it?’ and he said, ‘To be honest my love, I don’t think so’.”

Asked why she had not had the snake put down, she added: “Dan wouldn’t have wanted it. Knowing Dan how I do, he would rather be blamed than Tiny.”

‘Knowing Dan how I do, he would rather be blamed than Tiny’

Recording a verdict of misadventure earlier this year, Andrew Bradley, a coroner at North Hampshire Coroner’s Court, ruled Daniel’s death was as a result of “coming into contact with the snake”.

He said the “most likely scenario” was that Tiny had coiled around Daniel, and had either taken hold of him unexpectedly or had tripped him up.