Mother killed by falling bricks, court told

HomeNewsUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessWorld of BusinessTechnology of BusinessNYSE Opening BellTechnologyWatch DocumentariesArtificial IntelligenceIntelligence RevolutionAI v the MindTech NowHealthWatch DocumentariesCultureWatch DocumentariesFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsWatch DocumentariesArts in MotionTravelWatch DocumentariesDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListTo the Ends of the Earth EarthWatch DocumentariesScienceNatural WondersClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingAudioPodcast CategoriesRadioAudio FAQsVideoWatch DocumentariesBBC MaestroDiscover the WorldLiveLive NewsLive SportDocumentariesSite searchHomeNewsSportBusinessTechnologyHealthCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveDocumentariesWeatherNewslettersMother killed by falling bricks, court told45 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleBBCThe bricks fell from a crane at a building site in east London in March 2018A mother on the school run sustained fatal injuries when a large pile of bricks fell on her head as she walked past a building site in east London, a court has heard.

Michaela Boor, 29, was on Burdett Road, Bow, on the morning of 27 March 2018 when the accident happened. She suffered a fractured skull and died two days later.

Higgins Homes is on trial at the Old Bailey charged with corporate manslaughter and a health and safety offence.

Four construction workers contracted by Higgins Homes – Thomas Anstis, Stephen Coulson, Dawood Maan and Alexander McInnes – are accused of the same offences. Both Higgins Homes and the four men deny the charges.

Opening the case on Monday, prosecutor Alexandra Healy KC said Boor had been walking towards some shops with a friend, Chelsea Mustafa, when the bricks fell from a crane.

She said: "Their route took them past a construction site that was being developed by Higgins Homes plc.

"A pallet of bricks that was being transported by a tower crane towards a loading bay immediately adjacent to the pavement along Burdett Way fell on to them.

"Chelsea Mustafa ran into the road, away from the construction site. Although some bricks hit her on the back and her hand, she was able to avoid the bulk of the falling load.

"Michaela Boor did not make it off the pavement.

"She was hit by the falling bricks which fractured her skull and she sustained catastrophic brain injuries."

Boor received treatment at the scene and was taken to the Royal London Hospital, but her injuries were "unsurvivable" and she died on 29 March, jurors were told.

Higgins Homes was the principal contractor and designer of the project to build a block of flats.

Anstis, 69, of Banstead, Surrey, was the senior site manager and temporary work co-ordinator. He was in charge of the building site and overseeing the work of subcontractors.

Coulson, 69, of Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, was director of Coulson Lifting Services and was in charge of lifting services.

He was not at the site on the day of the incident.

Maan, 61, of Ashford, Kent, was the crane supervisor responsible for overseeing and supervising lifting operations on the site.

McInnes, 34, of Islington, north London, was the crane operator.

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