A pregnant mother who was banned from keeping animals has spoken out after a royal python was confiscated from her home.

Kelly Wicks appeared at Chelmsford Magistrates Court yesterday after the RSPCA investigated reports that two kittens, five fish and the massive python named Lucifer were kept at her home in November.

Miss Wicks, 30, of Howard Close, Braintree, claimed she did not know she was breaching her 2008 disqualification order as the pets were not hers and belonged to her partner John Cattermole, whom she shares a home with.

She was fined £215.

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