Jockey fire accused 'seen after alarm raised'

Peter Brown is accused of lighting a fire in the entrance to the flats

A man accused of starting a fire which killed two jockeys was walking around barefoot and obviously drunk after the alarm was raised, a court has heard.

Jamie Kyne, 18, from County Galway, Irish Republic, and Jan Wilson, 19, from Forfar in Angus, died in the fire at flats near Malton, North Yorkshire.

Peter Brown, of Brotherton, North Yorkshire, denies two murder charges.

A witness told Leeds Crown Court after he was alerted to the fire, he saw Mr Brown walking around looking "lairy".

'Banging and screaming'

Prosecutors say Mr Brown started the fire when he lit rubbish in the communal entrance to the Buckrose Court block of flats in Norton.

He is alleged to have started the fire as an act of "revenge" after he was refused entry to a party in one of the flats.

William Stewart, who lives in a cottage directly opposite the flats, told the jury he had returned from a friend's house when he was alerted to something happening outside.

He said he was about to prepare some food when he heard "banging and then someone screaming" and saw smoke and flames coming from the flats.

Mr Stewart told the court that when he went out of his cottage he saw Mr Brown outside the flats.

Mr Brown, of School Croft, Brotherton, also denies two alternative charges of manslaughter and one charge of arson with intent to endanger life.

The trial continues.