Chippy owner dies 3 years after wife died from boiling oil burns

Village chip shop owner, 74, dies in hospital three years after he was cleared of murdering his ‘nagging’ wife, 69, by tipping vat of boiling fat over her

• Geoffrey Bran, 74, has died three years after being accused of his wife’s death
• He ran chip shop Chipoteria in Hermon, West Wales with wife Mavis
• Mavis was burned alive by the scalding 160C oil and died six days later
• Bran’s family said he would be ‘sadly missed by all’

A husband who was cleared of murdering his wife by tipping a vat of boiling fat over her at their family-run village fish and chip shop has died three years later.

Businessman Geoffrey Bran, 74, carried on serving customers after his wife Mavis was burned alive by scalding 160C oil at Chipoteria takeaway in Hermon, West Wales.

But he has now died in hospital, his family confirmed. 

They said in tribute that he was a ‘beloved husband of the late Mavis, devoted father of Richard, Rhiannon and Rhidian, much loved grandfather, respected father-in-law, also a dear brother’.

They added that he would be ‘sadly missed by all his family and many friends’.

Mavis, 69, told a friend and a paramedic that Bran had deliberately thrown the bubbling hot fat over her after she told him off for burning four portions of cod.

Geoffrey Bran, 74, (pictured) who was acquitted in his wife’s murder trial in 2019, has died. He had been married for 34 marriage and ran the fish and chip shop with her

Mavis, 69, died in hospital six days after suffering 46 per cent burns at the couple’s fish and chip shop near Carmarthen

But Bran said his wife had slipped on the greasy floor and pulled the vat over as she reached out to stop herself from falling.

She died in hospital six days after suffering 46 per cent burns at the couple’s fish and chip shop near Carmarthen.

Bran was acquitted of murder and manslaughter at his trial at Swansea Crown Court in November 2019.

Mavis screamed ‘please help me’ down the phone to a friend minutes after working alongside husband in their shop during the ordeal in October 2018.

But Bran carried on serving customers as his semi-naked wife desperately cried out for help after being doused with oil. 

He stunned police by asking for the deep fat fryer – an exhibit in the murder trial – to be returned to him and there was speculation he planned to reopen the popular village takeaway.

But Bran has died peacefully at Glangwili Hospital in Carmarthen.

The murder trial heard Mavis frequently ‘nagged’ her husband who was ‘the quiet one’ in the 34 marriage.

At the time, the court heard that the pair had always argued, swore and shouted at each other.

Bran sobbed in the dock as he told how he loved his wife and still missed her every day.

He agreed in court that it was ‘callous to the point of inhumanity’ not to check on his wife as he he carried on serving. 

Asked why he didn’t tend her injuries or call an ambulance he said: ‘I was in another world. I lost the plot.’

Mavis worked alongside her husband at their family-run chip shop in Hermon, West Wales, before she was dosed in boiling oil and died from her burns

Christopher Clee, defending, told the jury: ‘If he had thrown it over her where are the injuries you would expect to see on him?

‘Mavis Bran was the dominant one who started the arguments when she had been drinking, the one who said terrible things about Geoff, that ‘she wished he was dead’ or ‘she would f***ing kill him’.

‘This is a placid man of 71. You may consider some of the character references – unflappable, patient, stoical.’

Bran showed no emotion when the jury cleared him of all charges and he thanked them with a wave before leaving court.

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