Landlord on fire safety charges

The owner of a block of flats where two young jockeys died in an arson attack has been given time to consider his plea to offences alleging fire safety breaches.
By The Newsroom
Published 2nd Oct 2012, 07:00 BST

Landlord Alan Foster, 65, appeared at York Crown Court yesterday facing prosecution by North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority following the blaze in September 2009 which killed Jamie Kyne, 18 and Jan Wilson, 19, at Buckrose Court, Norton, Malton.

His counsel Philip Standfast told the court he needed time to go through the detailed allegations with Foster, having only received all the papers in the case last week.

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The Recorder of York, Judge Stephen Ashworth said he hoped the trial would remain in York and a provisional date was arranged for February 25 next year.

He adjourned the plea and case management hearing to a date in November when the nine charges will be put.

Foster allegedly failed to maintain fire alarms, emergency lighting, fire fighting and fire detection equipment. He is also accused of putting lives at risk by failing to ensure his premises could be safely evacuated.

Jamie Kyne, from Co Galway, and Jan Wilson, from Forfar, Scotland, were trapped on the top floor when labourer Peter Brown started a blaze after being refused entry to a party in another flat.

Brown, was convicted of manslaughter and ordered to serve a minimum of seven and a half years under an indeterminate sentence for public protection.