Chip shop owner cleared of murdering wife with deep fat fryer

Mavis Bran, 69, died six days after suffering ‘horrific’ burns to 46 per cent of her body

A chip shop owner has been cleared of killing his wife by scalding her with oil from a deep fat fryer following an argument.

Geoffrey Bran, 71, was accused of pushing or throwing the contents of a fryer onto Mavis Bran, 69, his wife of 38 years, leaving her with “horrific burns” that led to her death, six days later.

Before she died, Ms Bran told a friend and paramedics that her husband had “flipped” and attacked her with the fryer because she had been “nagging him” inside The Chipoteria chip shop they owned in the rural village of Hermon, in Carmarthenshire, Wales.

However, a jury found Mr Bran not guilty of murder or manslaughter following a week-long trial.

Mr Bran was in tears as the jury at Swansea Crown Court read out their not guilty verdict before judge Paul Thomas QC released him from the dock.

Ms Bran died from multi-organ failure in hospital after suffering burns to 46 per cent of her body, developing sepsis and hypothermia and undergoing surgery to remove some of her burned skin.

Lodger Gareth Davies told the court Ms Bran returned to her home naked from the waist up with “crimson” peeling skin on 23 October last year, shouting “I’ve been burned” and “I’ve had boiling hot fat all over me”.

Ms Bran then rang her friend Caroline Morgan and told her: “Geoff has thrown boiling oil over me. Please get here, I need you now, help.”

Ms Morgan said she found Ms Bran “shocked” and “shaking” and told Mr Davies to call for an ambulance, before telling Mr Bran – who was still serving customers – to shut the chip shop.

Mr Bran was initially arrested on suspicion of assault and denied attacking his wife, telling police: “She got burned with the chip fryer. She slipped and it came off the top and went over her. Don’t ask.”

The couple, who had no children together, owned around 10 businesses around South Wales, including The Chipoteria – which opened in January 2018 in a cabin next to their home – in the small southwestern Welsh village.

The court heard that financial pressures of their various businesses would sometimes put a strain on their marriage, leading to arguments about money.

People who knew the couple were said to have described them as having “short tempers” and “always argued, swearing and shouting at each other”.

In the months leading up to her death, a friend of Ms Bran had noticed the couple’s relationship had been “deteriorating”, with Ms Bran phoning friend Ms Morgan in tears saying “he’s getting nasty”.

Mr Bran claimed his wife had previously spread lies about him, and suggested she was “halfway” to being drunk on the afternoon that she was injured after drinking glasses of red wine.

Paramedics found she had a blood alcohol reading of 108mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood, higher than the drink-drive limit of 80mg per 100ml.

Mr Bran said his wife must have been “confused” when blaming him but said he “couldn’t find an answer” as to why he then ignored her for more than two hours after she was hurt.

He told the court he loved and missed his wife, despite telling police in an interview: “It’s a miracle we lasted that long. But we used to get on OK. We’ve had our ups and downs.”

Outside court, Mr Bran stood next to a family spokesman as she read out a statement asking that they be allowed to “get on with our lives”.

The spokeswoman said: “As a family we would just like to say thank you to everybody who has supported us in the last year. Family, friends and our legal team who have shown great compassion, professionalism, and positivity over this trying time.

“The loss of Mavis has left the family devastated and we ask that we can now get on with our lives and grieve properly without further intrusion.”

Additional reporting by Press Association.