Scottish labourer found guilty of killing young jockeys in arson attack

A SCOTTISH labourer was found guilty today of killing two young jockeys by setting light to a block of flats in a drunken revenge attack.

• Victims Jamie Kyne and Jan Wilson

Peter Brown, 37, started a fire at Buckrose Court in Norton, North Yorkshire, which killed Jamie Kyne, 18, from Kiltrogue, Co Galway, Ireland, and Jan Wilson, 19, from Forfar, Scotland.

A jury at Leeds Crown Court heard drunken Brown, who is originally from the Aberdeen area of Scotland, torched the complex as an act of revenge after he was refused entry to a party in one of the flats last September.

Today he was cleared by the jury of murder but found guilty of manslaughter.

Brown, who looked at the jury foreman as the verdicts were delivered, was also acquitted of arson with intent to endanger life.

The jury of six men and six women took 13 hours to reach their verdicts.

Friends and relatives of the two victims said "yes" as the manslaughter verdicts were delivered and comforted each other in the public gallery.

Mrs Justice Nicola Davies adjourned sentence for the completion of a pre-sentence report, adding: "So I can have full information about the danger you pose."

She thanked the jury and the victim's relatives, telling the families of the two jockeys: "You have attended every day, my thanks to you for the dignity you have shown."