Firm and men deny killing woman crushed by bricks

The bricks fell on Ms Boor from a crane at a building site in east London

A building firm and four men are due to go on trial next year over the death of a mother who was crushed by falling bricks after dropping her children off at school in east London.

Michaela Boor, 29, sustained fatal injuries when a pallet containing more than two tonnes of bricks fell from a crane at a building site on Burdett Road, Bow on 27 March 2018.

Higgins Homes Plc is accused over her death, along with Thomas Anstis, 68, of Banstead, Surrey; Stephen Coulson, 69, of Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire; Dawood Mann, 60, of Ashford, Kent; and Alexander McInnes, 33, of Islington, north London.

At the Old Bailey, the defendants all denied gross negligence manslaughter.

The bricks fell on Ms Boor as she walked with a friend along the pavement on the corner of Burdett Road and St Paul's Way. She died in hospital two days later.

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

A representative of Higgins Homes entered not guilty pleas to charges of corporate manslaughter and failing to discharge its duty under the Health and Safety Act 1974.

As well as denying manslaughter, the four men on trial have also pleaded not guilty to a similar health and safety offence.

The defendants were granted continued bail ahead of their Old Bailey trial next October.