Hard to say at this stage, would have been good to post a pic of the large version your friend's got. If it has flowers, it could be Leycesteria formosa. Snake plant doesn't bring anything to mind, unless he's thinking of the hint of overlapping scales in the dangling flowers.

Hi Bamboo, All he said was the texture and colouring of the bark was like a snake skin, a bit patchy perhaps I don't know myself. Thanks anyway Trevor

Well the classic snake like bark is Snake Bark Maple tree, but it isnt' that, the leaves are wrong, so no idea what he means

It looks like it might be a species of Actaea, of which some kinds are called Snakeroot. I don't know which species this one is, though.

Hi Bamboo, I have been looking at many plants for the snake bark plant that was given to me, now in your experience do you think it could be a Devils Tongue Konjac (tongueamorphophallus) voodoo lily I might have got some of that wrong!

Amorphophallus rivieri Konjac, yes does look like it, how horrible, I hate plants that produce these hideous unpleasantly scented (they always say 'pungent') phallic flowers, but each to his own. It is though, frost sensitive, according to the stuff online. I know nowt else about it.