Man guilty of killing jockeys in Malton flat fire

Jockey deaths shocked racing world Bitter revenge quest sparked fire

A man has been found guilty of killing two jockeys in an arson attack at flats in North Yorkshire.

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

Peter Brown, 37, of Brotherton, North Yorkshire, was cleared of murder but found guilty of manslaughter.

Leeds Crown Court heard Brown started the fire after being refused entry to a party. Sentencing was adjourned.

Brown, a labourer originally from the Aberdeen area, denied murder and two alternative charges of manslaughter. He was also acquitted of arson with intent to endanger life.

When Jan and Jamie died, a part of each one of us died with them Families' statement

Mrs Justice Nicola Davies adjourned sentencing for the completion of a pre-sentence report, telling Brown it was "so I can have full information about the danger you pose".

Prosecutors told the jury that Brown, who chose not give evidence at his trial, started the fire when he lit rubbish in the communal entrance to the Buckrose Court flats in Norton on 5 September 2009.

The court was told the father-of-one, who lived in a neighbouring block and was a former caretaker for the complex, started the fire as an act of revenge after he was refused entry to a party in one of the flats.

White spirit

The jury heard he had a "prickly" relationship with the women who lived in the flat where the party was taking place.

Peter Brown was cleared of murder but convicted of manslaughter

Miss Wilson and Mr Kyne were in the flat above - a property which was rented by Mr Kyne and Ian Brennan, Miss Wilson's boyfriend.

The court was told a drunken Brown used white spirit to set light to rubbish in the stairwell after he returned from drinking in local pubs in the early hours.

The fire quickly took hold as the stairwell acted like a chimney.

The fire forced many of the occupants to jump from the building or climb down drainpipes. Miss Wilson and Mr Kyne were trapped in the top-floor flat.

Following the verdict, the families issued a joint statement.

'Rising talents'

It said Brown had "robbed" the families of the young jockeys "who had so much to live for".

The statement said: "When Jan and Jamie died, a part of each one of us died with them.

"He has left us all shattered and our lives will never be the same again.

"We are pleased that he has now been held accountable for the devastating events of last September, however no punishment will ever bring Jan and Jamie back."

Jan Hills, district Crown Prosecutor for CPS North Yorkshire, said Brown's act of revenge "robbed" the families of their loved ones and deprived the sporting world of two rising talents.

She said: "In setting fire to the block of flats, he cruelly snuffed out that youthful potential, all for the sake of a perceived slight after being refused access to a party."

Det Ch Insp Alan Carey said: "Peter Brown has shown little or no remorse, let alone an admission of his guilt, throughout the investigation and now the trial.

"It is perhaps telling that he did not want to be confronted with questions as to what he did and why.

"The fact that he took this decision is of little comfort to Jan's and Jamie's families, who are still left wondering why the fire was started."

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