A developer and four construction workers are set to face a manslaughter trial over the death of a woman killed by bricks falling from an east London building site.
Michaela Boor was on her way to her son Kieran’s nursery on March 27, 2018 when the pallet of bricks fell five storeys from a Higgins Homes building development on Burdett Road in Bethnal Green.
Ms Boor was found lying among the rubble at around 9.30am, she was resuscitated at the scene by paramedics, but died in hospital two days later.
Her family made the painful decision to turn off her life support the day after her birthday.
At Westminster magistrates court on Monday, Essex-based construction company Higgins Homes and four workers on the site faced criminal charges for the first time.
Site manager Thomas Anstis, 68, Stephen Coulson, 68, who was in charge of safety, Dawood Mann, 59, the crane supervisor, and Alexander McInnes 32, who was operating the crane, appeared together in the dock.
Together with Higgins Homes, they all indicated not guilty pleas to charges of gross negligence manslaughter and a health and safety breach.
“This concerns a fatal accident on March 27, 2018 in which a member of the public, Michaela Boor, was killed when a large number of bricks fell on her head as she walked past a building site in East London”, said prosecutor Busola Johnson.
“The bricks was being transferred by means of a tower crane.
“Higgins Homes is a property developer, which was building a block of flats.”
The court heard Ms Boor was walking along the road with a friend after dropping their children off at school.
“A load of bricks were being delivered by crane to a loading bay on the building site, very close to the perimeter”, said Ms Johnson.
“As the load reached the edge of the building, it failed and discharged the bricks.”
The prosecutor said some of the bricks landed on the loading bay, Ms Boor’s friend felt a brick land on her hand and she was able to flee to safety.
“Ms Boor received the greatest impact”, she added.
McInnes, of Islington, Maan, of Ashford Kent, Coulson, of Hemel Hempstead, and Anstis, of Banstead, were all freed on bail by District Judge Briony Clarke.
The case was sent to the Old Bailey for a preliminary hearing ahead of trial on July 14.
All defendant spoke only to confirm their identities during the court hearing.
