Landlord admits fire safety breaches following fatal fire
The landlord of a North Yorkshire block of flats in which two people lost their lives in a fire has admitted breaching fire safety regulations.
Back in September 2009, a fire broke out at the Buckrose Court block of flats in Malton, trapping Jan Wilson and Jamie Kyne inside. The pair were sleeping on the upper floor of the building whilst the fire, which was set by an arsonist, blazed inside. The man who set the fire, Peter Brown, was jailed for double manslaughter.
However, the landlord of the building, 65-year-old Alan Foster has now appeared before Leeds Crown Court to answer to charges made against him. He has admitted failing to comply with fire safety legislation relating to the safe management of the flats and the storage of combustible materials. It is also not likely that he had undergone any fire safety training, as he failed to take the right precautions to protect his tenants from serious injury or death in the event of a fire breaking out.
Mr Foster, as well as the relatives of the tragic victims, will now have to wait until next month when the sentencing will take place.