Builders on trial over woman killed by falling bricks

A woman was killed in east London when a pallet containing more than two tonnes of bricks fell from a crane onto the pavement, a court has heard.

Michaela Boor, 30, was with a friend and they had just dropped their children off at school in March 2018, when the incident happened.

The court heard Ms Boor was hit as “a large number of bricks” fell from the crane as they walked on the pavement on the corner of Burdett Road in Bethnal Green.

A developer and four men appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday facing manslaughter charges.

Higgins Homes Plc is accused of corporate manslaughter and a health and safety offence.

Thomas Anstis, 68, of Banstead, Surrey; Stephen Coulson, 68, of Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire; Dawood Mann, 59, of Ashford, Kent; and Alexander McInnes 32, of Islington, north London, are each accused of one count of gross negligence manslaughter and a health and safety offence.

The defendants spoke only to confirm their identities.

Busola Johnson, prosecuting, told the court the case concerned “a fatal accident” on 27 March 2018 in which a member of the public was killed when a “large number of bricks” fell on her as she walked past a building site.

Ms Boor suffered very serious injuries and received medical help at the scene and in hospital but died two days later, Ms Johnson said.

Higgins Homes Plc was a property developer, Anstis was the site manager, Coulson was responsible for compiling the lifting plan for the site, Mann was a crane supervisor and McInnes was a crane operator, the prosecution said.

The defendants were given bail by Judge Briony Clarke until their next court appearance at the Old Bailey on July 14.