Man faces jockey death blaze charges

The trial of a man accused of murdering two young jockeys who died in a fire at a flat is due to start today.

Peter Brown, 37, of School Croft, Brotherton, North Yorkshire, will appear at Leeds Crown Court charged with the murders of promising apprentices Jamie Kyne, 18, and Jan Wilson, 19, in September last year.

Mr Kyne, from County Galway, Ireland, and Miss Wilson, from Forfar, Scotland, died in the blaze at a flats complex in Norton, near Malton, North Yorkshire.

The deaths of the two young riders shocked the racing world and a series of tributes were held at race courses and yards across Britain and Ireland.

At Mr Kyne's funeral, Racing Post journalist Tom O'Ryan paid tribute to the young jockey.

He told the mourners: "Somebody once said that jockeys are born, not made.

"Whoever that somebody was, he could have been talking directly and personally about Jamie Kyne. He was a young man born to ride.

"You didn't have to be a so-called racing expert to spot it. Anybody with even half an eye could see it. Jamie was a pure natural in the saddle. Nerves? He never knew what it meant. He was ultra-confident, totally fearless, frighteningly determined.

"What he possessed was an undiluted passion and enthusiasm for what he was doing, without ever losing sight of the fact that riding horses - especially in races - was exhilarating, exciting and great fun."

At the funeral of Miss Wilson, her former trainer, Paul Murphy, spoke equally highly of her, saying he had "never ever had any bad times with Jan".

Mr Murphy went on: "Jan was one of the most delightful, loveable, persistent girls I've ever seen in my life.

"From the minute she walked into the yard we all started laughing, and we laughed to the day Jan left.

"Jan never, ever got upset when you gave her advice."