A jury at Inner London Crown Court cleared Foster + Partners of responsibility for the death of coach driver Mick Ferris, who was struck by a falling windowpane from a penthouse in London in 2018. However, St James, the project managers, and Lindner Prater, the engineers, were found guilty of safety breaches.
Incident details
Mr Ferris, 53, was killed instantly when a 130kg glass windowpane, measuring about 190cm by 85cm, fell 25 storeys (around 300 feet) from a penthouse apartment onto the pavement below. He was a driver for Clarkes Of London, a National Express-owned firm, and had been with the company for more than 30 years, according to a colleague.
The court heard that just over a year earlier, another window panel had fallen from the same development. "Miraculously" no one was injured, but no changes were made to the design following that incident.
Prosecution arguments
Prosecutors for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) argued that the developers ignored "foreseeable risks". The penthouse windows were originally designed to open inwards safely, but the design was changed to outward-opening windows to avoid clashing with an internal ceiling coffer containing pipes and wiring. A restrictor designed to prevent the window from being blown off had been removed.
Jurors were told that a woman pushing a wheelchair narrowly escaped being struck by the falling glass. The trial began in July 2026.
Verdict and response
After more than 11 hours of deliberations, the jury cleared Foster + Partners (F+P) and Wintech Ltd, the building’s design engineers. St James and Lindner Prater were found to have failed in their duty to protect the public under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
Prosecutor Gordon Menzies told the jury it "wasn’t an accident waiting to happen … it was an accident that had already happened in August 2017. The prosecution say it was an accident waiting to happen again." Jurors were shown an email sent to Fosters in the wake of the first incident noting "concerns raised" about another window falling in the future.
A spokesperson for F+P said: "Our thoughts remain with Mr Ferris’s family, as they have since October 2018. We note the court’s decision and are grateful to the jury for the time and care they have taken in considering this matter." A spokesperson for Wintech said: "While the court has reached its conclusion, the tragedy of what happened remains. It is vital that we continue to reflect and learn, and as an industry, remain committed to strengthening standards and practices to help prevent such incidents in the future."
A spokesperson for St James said: "The death of Mick Ferris in 2018 was tragic. Our thoughts remain with his family and friends. We acknowledge today’s verdict and will carefully consider its implications."
