A Canadian man has been cleared of criminal negligence causing death after his African rock python escaped its enclosure and killed two young New Brunswick boys three years ago.

Four-year-old Noah Barthe and Connor Barthe, six, died during a sleepover in Jean-Claude Savoie's flat in August 2013.

The python escaped by travelling through a ventilation duct and dropping into the living room where the boys slept.

A pathologist who performed past-mortems on the boys said they died of asphyxiation and each was covered in puncture wounds from snake bites.

Mr Savoie and his relatives wept in court as the jury delivered the verdict on Wednesday night.

His lawyer argued Mr Savoie believed the snake was too big get through the duct, so he did not see a need to secure the opening.

PA Media