Man charged with murder of teenage jockeys

Published on Friday 27 November 2009 21:39

A MAN who reportedly tried to rescue two jockeys from a fire in which they died, appeared in court yesterday, charged with their murders.

Peter William Brown, 37, made a three-minute appearance before magistrates, who remanded him in custody to appear before a crown court judge next Friday. Brown was originally arrested after the fire in September in which Irish jockey Jamie Kyne, 18, and Scots-born apprentice rider Jan Wilson, 19, died.

Several other people escaped the blaze in a block of flats in Norton, North Yorkshire.

Jamie, from Kiltrogue in Co Galway, was living in the flats complex and Jan, from Forfar, Angus, was visiting for the evening. Jan's boyfriend, the Dublin-born jockey Ian Brennan, 20, escaped uninjured from the blaze.

The pair were unable to escape through a window or down the staircase when the late-night fire started, after they had been out for the evening with friends.

Later that day, it was reported that Peter Brown had been arrested and was being questioned by police about the fire, but he was released without charge. He was again arrested earlier this week, and yesterday appeared at Scarborough Magistrates' Court after being charged with two counts of murder by North Yorkshire Police.

During the hearing, Brown, wearing a white T-shirt and flanked by three guards, spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth and confirm that he was living in a caravan park at Brotherton, North Yorkshire.