Jockeys murder trial: Drinking 'changed character' of arson accused

Young jockeys 'murdered in revenge attack by caretaker'

Kelly Hutchinson said Peter Brown was acting as "a sort of caretaker" for Alan Foster, the owner of the flats in Buckrose Court, Norton, Malton when she and her friend Elizabeth Murphy moved into one.

"He used to fix things and do odd jobs for Alan. I didn't really have a lot to do with him at first. It was just a general hello and he seemed all right at first."

But she said gradually she noticed his personality changed "whenever he had a drink." Her flatmate Miss Murphy had a bad falling out with him.

The jury heard from Richard Mansell QC prosecuting Brown, who denies killing jockeys Jamie Kyne and Jan Wilson, that Miss Murphy became upset with Brown when he tried to get her boyfriend Liam Foley to take some cocaine.

The Crown claims Brown started the blaze in revenge hours after he was refused entry to a party at her flat by Miss Murphy.

Miss Hutchinson told the jury those living in the flats connected to the racing industry were very close, got on well together and were regularly in and out of each others flats.

"We all had a lot in common. Working in racing you tend to come from quite far away and those around you tend to become your family."

She said she tried to stay on good terms with Brown but did not like it when he went into the flat uninvited.

"One time I did have an altercation with him saying I wasn't comfortable with him being there."

On another occasion he kept knocking on the door after she had answered it and told him she was having a bath. When he finally walked away he shouted something: "It sounded like he would bray the door down or burn the door down."

One day he said he was no longer working there because he had received a text message from Mr Foster saying because of money difficulties he could no longer pay him.

She said Brown was angry and said he was going to have it out with Mr Foster. He sat outside drinking cider while he waited to confront him.

He did not see him that day but she overheard him shouting at Mr Foster on another day about what he had done to him. "He was saying 'I will kill you' or something like that and cursing a lot."

She told the jury they had another friend Jordan Lambert, living with them for some months while she waited for her own accommodation to be ready. She paid her rent direct to Brown and he began "sending her text messages suggested he liked her."

She said when her friend indicated she did not like him in that way he was annoyed. "He just said he hated her and didn't want anything to do with her any more and told her she was a slut."

Jordan Lambert told the jury that things between her and Brown were "okay at first then he just got a bit funny" and "he did get quite nasty."

She said he started sending chatty texts to which she responded and then gave her chocolates ostensibly from his 10-year-old son.

One night he sent a text to look on the doorstep and she found bottles of wine from him. "I thought it was a bit strange."

She said she stopped replying to him but he would be around the flats, which was awkward.

One night he punched a friend of Liam Foley and would not leave the flat so she and Miss Murphy and the others decided to go out into town.

He followed behind them sending her text messages.

He sent about 15 that night going on until 4am threatening to kill the man she was seeing.

"At first I texted back saying leave me alone, delete my number, then I just ignored him."

She said when the messages continued after that she told Mr Foster her father was considering phoning the police if Brown did not stop and after that he just made comments under his breath when he saw her.

The trial continues.