Honours for police team in jockey arson deaths inquiry

The investigation team has been honoured at an awards ceremony held by North Yorkshire Police to recognise the efforts of officers who were involved in a series of major cases.

Peter Brown was jailed at Leeds Crown Court for a minimum of seven-and-a-half years after he was found guilty of the manslaughter of Jan Wilson, 19, and Jamie Kyne, 18.

Brown, 38, started a blaze at flats in Norton, North Yorkshire, on September 5, 2009, after being refused entry to a party. The two jockeys died after they were trapped asleep in a top floor flat.

The police team was praised at the sentencing hearing in December by Mrs Justice Nicola Davies, who said the officers had conducted a “very thorough and comprehensive investigation”.

At the awards ceremony at the force’s Newby Wiske headquarters last week, Temporary Det Supt Alan Carey, who led the investigation, was recognised for his efforts in solving the case.

Other officers who were given certificates of commendation were Chief Insp Steve Smith, Det Con Eileen Huscroft, Det Sgt Jason Roper and Det Sgt Stephen Paxton.

Det Con Alistair Scott, Det Con Alex Jackson, Det Con Alex Hall and Det Con Tom Hoban as well as Det Con Kirsten Aldridge, Det Con Angela Smith and family liaison officers Det Con Karen Wedgwood and traffic Constable Grant Gibson were others presented with certificates.

Exhibits and disclosure officer Bev Shields, intelligence analyst Anna Lloyd-Jones, Stephen John Walls, of the Major Crime Unit, Dale Blakey, of Forensic Services, and Crime Scene Investigator Martin Blee were also commended.

More than 30 police officers and staff were honoured in the series of awards ceremonies.

Among them was Det Con Kathryn Clegg who was commended for her work attempting to reunite an abducted child with her family.

The child was snatched by her estranged father during a family holiday to Turkey in July last year, but was eventually reunited with her mother.

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