Man Killed By His 8ft Long Pet Python

A man who owned 10 snakes and 12 tarantulas was killed by his 2.4m (8ft) pet python called Tiny, an inquest has heard.

Animal lover Dan Brandon died of asphyxiation at his home in Hampshire on 25 August last year, Basingstoke Coroners’ Court was told.

Coroner Andrew Bradley recorded a verdict of misadventure following the incident with the African rock python. Mr Brandon, a keen snake handler, had owned Tiny since she was small enough to fit in his hand.

A man was killed at home by his own 8ft pet python named Tiny, an inquest has heard. Thought to be the first case of its kind in Britain, a coroner at the inquest in Basingstoke, Hampshire, was told the snake escaped from its case and crushed its owner, 31-year-old Daniel Brandon, to death. Couple named Daniel and Danielle born on same day in same hospital marry 40 years later Coroner Andrew Bradley recorded a verdict of misadventure and said:

‘The most likely scenario is that Tiny was engaged with Dan – I have no doubt about that. ‘She was coiling around him, at which point I have no idea. There was a point at which either she takes hold of him unexpectedly or trips him up or some other mechanism.’ Mr Bradley said the snake then hid, probably ‘because of the shock of him falling or because of his reaction’. Last year the coroner’s office ruled Mr Brandon died of asphyxiation at his home in Church Crookham, Hampshire, on August 25, 2017.

His snake was found hiding in the same room as his body.