THE landlord of the flats where Angus apprentice jockey Jan Wilson died has denied fire safety offences.
Alan Foster (65), of Buckrose Court, Malton, North Yorkshire, appeared at Leeds Crown Court yesterday accused of endangering lives where farmer’s daughter Jan (19), of Greenhead, near Forfar, and Irish rider Jamie Kyne perished in September 2009.
Mr Kyne, (18) and three-time winner Jan died when fire tore through flats at The Tannery, Buckrose Court, Malton.
They died on an upper floor after labourer Peter Brown, now 40, started a fire as they slept at 2am.
Scots labourer Brown was subsequently jailed for the manslaughter of the young jockeys.
At court yesterday, Foster denied putting the residents of the jockeys’ block of flats in danger of death or serious injury by failing to set up proper evacuation procedures, allowing combustible items and other material to be stored on and around a staircase and failing to maintain fire safety devices including smoke alarms properly between March 5 and September 6 2009.
Foster will stand trial on this charge, and others, at Leeds Crown Court on May 13.
