In denial: Self-styled drunken Scotsman who killed two jockeys squares up to police

Main story: Labourer guilty of jockey killings

Father-of-one Brown, 37, labelled himself as such in police interviews after he was arrested following the deaths of promising young jockeys Jamie Kyne, 18, and Jan Wilson, 19.

Brown, who is originally from the Aberdeen area of Scotland, lived in the flats complex where Kyne and Wilson were trapped but in a different block. He worked as a labourer for a local builder but had also acted as a caretaker at the flats for owner Alan Foster.

Brown initially lived in one of the bedsits in Buckrose House until work was completed on the flats, which Mr Foster built from an old tannery two years ago. He had worked as a labourer and delivery driver on the site.

After it was completed, Brown moved in and began doing odd jobs and performing other tasks for Mr Foster, such as delivering the post, for 50 a week.

Before this, Brown had lived in nearby Malton but he moved to Norton after he split from his wife Javeira in 2006.

The couple have a young son who would often stay with Brown at his flat.

The court heard that Brown's drinking was part of the reason his relationship with his wife broke up.

The jury in the trial heard he was convicted of an offence of sending obscene or menacing text messages to his wife in 2006 following an "incident" which was not explained. He was also convicted of causing criminal damage following the same incident.

Throughout his trial, a picture was painted of a man who liked a drink.

The jury was also told of the complex relationship he had with the other tenants of Buckrose Court - especially those who lived in Flat 4, which was below the one where the jockeys died.

Prosecutor Richard Mansell QC told the court Brown deliberately started the fire because he was turned away from a party in Flat 4.

Before this, Brown had fallen out with some Flat 4 residents and had "taken a shine" to another, Jordan Lambert, who was 20 years younger than him. Brown would send her text messages and buy her presents.

Miss Lambert told the court some of them were derogatory about her boyfriend, calling him "queer" and one referred to her as a "whore".

The night of the fatal fire began with a party in Flat 4.

Brown had snorted a line of cocaine and been drinking whisky and lager at his flat. He asked to join the party but was turned down so he went out to a number of local pubs and drank more.

Jurors were told he returned in the early hours of the morning of September 5 and used white spirit to set light to rubbish at the base of the staircase.

He was later spotted making a futile attempt to get into the block.

Brown was even seen to be abusive and aggressive towards the emergency services trying to help those at the scene. Witnesses said he was wandering around barefoot and "jumping on them and shouting at them (firefighters)".

The Norton area is synonymous with the horse-racing industry, with many trainers based in the area.

Many of those living in Buckrose Court were connected to the sport and the complex owner, Mr Foster, complained that stable staff would often be let into the flats to socialise during the day during their down time.

Pubs in the village are seen as racing pubs or locals' pubs but locals said there were few problems between the groups of people.