A MAN has been jailed indefinitely, but for a minimum of 7½ years, for the manslaughter of Galway jockey Jamie Kyne and a Scottish colleague.
Peter William Brown was convicted by a Leeds jury last May of manslaughter, but cleared of the murder, of Mr Kyne, from Kiltrogue, Co Galway, and fellow jockey Ms Jan Wilson. In September last year Brown had set on fire the North Yorkshire flat where both had been staying because he had not been allowed into a party.
Passing sentence, Mrs Justice Nicola Davies said Brown still posed a significant risk to the public because he showed a complete lack of control when faced with rejection.
Det Chief Insp Alan Carey, who led the inquiry into the deaths that shocked the racing world, said: “Peter Brown has shown little or no remorse, let alone an admission of his guilt throughout the investigation and the subsequent trial. He chose not to give evidence, thereby refusing to be cross examined in relation to his actions on the night of the tragedy. It is perhaps telling that he did not want to be confronted with questions as to what he did and why.”
Brown, originally from Dyce, near Aberdeen, acted as caretaker for the flats but he became “fixated” with the occupants because of noise he believed they made and the number of visitors they had. On the night of the fire, he had a row with some of the tenants at 10.30pm, not the victims, after he had taken alcohol and cocaine.
He left and went to a pub in nearby Malton, before leaving it at 1.40am. By the time he returned to the flats everyone had gone to bed. The fire alarm was raised shortly after 2am by one resident, who woke to find a fire on the stairs, caused after Brown set fire to rubbish. Residents scrambled down drainpipes, or jumped from upper floors to safety. But Mr Kyne and Ms Wilson were not able to do so.
Mrs Justice Davies said: “I have read the statements from members of the family and the impact of their deaths upon all of you. No one reading those statements can fail to be moved by them. I know that, for each one of you, nothing will ever be the same again and that this particular time of year is going to be painfully poignant.”
