A London developer and four men are facing manslaughter charges following the death of a woman crushed by a falling pallet of bricks. Higgins Homes Plc faces corporate manslaughter and health and safety offence charges.
The four men, 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, each face charges of gross negligence manslaughter and a health and safety offence.
The charges relate to an incident where a pallet containing over two tonnes of bricks fell from a crane, resulting in the woman's death.
They are all due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on June 16.
Michaela Boor, 30, died in March 2018 after she was hit by the bricks that fell from a tower crane as she walked along the pavement on the corner of Burdett Road in Mile End, east London.
Malcolm McHaffie, head of the Crown Prosecution Service’s special crime division, said: “Following a review of the evidence from the Metropolitan Police and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), we have authorised criminal charges against a company and four individuals in relation to the death of 30-year-old Michaela Boor in 2018.
“Ms Boor died after being struck by falling bricks as she walked on the pavement past a building site on the corner of Burdett Road in Bow, east London, on March 27 2018.
“Higgins Homes Plc has been charged with corporate manslaughter and a Health and Safety at Work Act offence, while Thomas Anstis, 68, Stephen Coulson, 68, Dawood Mann, 59, and Alexander McInnes 32, have each been charged with a single count of gross negligence manslaughter and offences under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.”
The Metropolitan Police said that Higgins Homes Plc, a construction company that develops and builds properties across London and the south east, was charged by postal requisition on Wednesday, May 7.
Crane operator McInnes and site manager Anstis were charged on May 8, while crane supervisor Maan and Coulson, who was responsible for compiling the lifting plan for the site, were charged on April 30.
