Racehorse trainer, 25, died after cigarette sparked fire in his VW Passat after he drank up to five pints of Guinness, inquest hears
An up-and-coming racehorse trainer was killed when a cigarette sparked a fire in his car after he drank "four or five" pints of Guinness, an inquest has heard.
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Hugh Mulryan was found dead in his VW Passat near Malton, North Yorkshire, just days after he moved there from County Galway in Ireland to begin a new job with trainer Adrian Keatley.
The 25-year-old had been to meet Mr Keatley at a pub in June last year to talk about the new role, an inquest at Northallerton Coroner's Court heard.
Mr Mulryan drank four or five pints of Guinness but did not appear drunk when he left the pub in his car at around 10pm, the hearing was told.
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He was involved in a collision with a couple on holiday from Merseyside around half an hour after leaving the pub, after driving the wrong way around a roundabout.
Passenger John Kavanagh told the inquest that nobody was hurt and Mr Mulryan appeared "remarkably calm" afterwards.
He was later found in the burned-out VW Passat in a lay-by at around 4am.
A subsequent investigation by the fire service found the fire had started accidentally in the front footwell, but it could not be established if Mr Mulryan was asleep at the time or not.
North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service station manager Anna Atkinson-Spragg said it was likely a cigarette came into contact with a flammable object inside the car, possibly seat belts or foam within the seats.
Ms Atkinson-Spragg described the location of the fire as being "extremely rural" and said the flames would have been visible from the main road.
Coroner Jonathan Leach said that the alcohol level in his system was "just over' the legal drink-drive limit.
He concluded that the death was an accident and recorded the cause of death being smoke inhalation.
Tributes were paid to Mr Mulryan in the aftermath of his death and a race at Killarney Racecourse in County Kerry held in May was named The Hugh Mulryan Memorial Flat Race.
Trainer Denis Hogan told the Racing Post: "Hugh just fitted in everywhere and made friends anywhere he went.
"He could fall into any company anywhere in the world. He’ll be sorely missed and is a big loss."