A mother-of-one was crushed to death by falling bricks while walking home from the school run past a building site in east London, the Old Bailey has heard.
Michaela Boor, 29, suffered catastrophic head injuries when a pallet of bricks being lifted by a tower crane plunged onto a pavement in Bow on March 27, 2018, prosecutors said.
The court heard Ms Boor had been shopping with friend Chelsea Mustafa after dropping their children at a nearby primary school and was returning along Burdett Road when the load fell from above.
Tragedy on Burdett Road
Opening the case on Monday, prosecutor Alexandra Healy KC said the women were walking past a construction site operated by Higgins Homes when the pallet dropped towards the pavement.
Ms Mustafa managed to run into the road and escape the bulk of the falling bricks, although she was struck on the back and hand. Ms Boor was unable to get clear and was hit by the load, suffering a fractured skull and devastating brain injuries.
She was treated at the scene and taken to the Royal London Hospital, where doctors attempted surgery. Jurors were told her injuries were "unsurvivable" and she died two days later.
Charges and defendants
Higgins Homes, the principal contractor on the scheme, denies corporate manslaughter and a health and safety offence. Four men involved in overseeing the site and lifting operations are also on trial charged with gross negligence manslaughter and health and safety offences, which they deny.
Prosecutor Ms Healy described Ms Boor’s final journey along Burdett Road alongside her friend Chelsea Mustafa.
She said: “They had dropped their children at a primary school on St Paul’s Way. They had both walked along Burdett Road to go to Lidl and Tesco – it was Michaela’s birthday the following day and she wanted to buy some things.
“They were walking back from the shops, along Burdett Road, towards the junction with St Paul’s Way.
“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.”
Defendants and trial
She received treatment at the scene and was taken to the Royal London Hospital, but despite surgery her injuries were “unsurvivable” and she died two days later on March 29, jurors were told.
Higgins Homes was the principal contractor and designer of the project to build a block of flats.
The firm is charged with corporate manslaughter and a charge under the Health and Safety at Work Act which it denies.
Thomas Anstis, 69, of Banstead, Surrey, was the senior site manager and temporary work co-ordinator employed by Higgins Homes.
He was in charge of the building site and overseeing the work of subcontractors appointed by Higgins Homes and co-ordinating their activities.
Stephen Coulson, 69, of Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, was director of Coulson Lifting Services which was contracted by Higgins Homes.
Coulson was the appointed person to plan the lifting operations on the site and was in overall control of them.
Ms Healy said it was not necessary for him to be permanently on site, but he must periodically visit the site to see whether any factors had changed which might necessitate a change to the lift plan. He was not at the site on the day of the incident.
Dawood Maan, 61, of Ashford, Kent, was the crane supervisor responsible for overseeing and supervising lifting operations on the site.
He was a self-employed contractor working for Coulson Lifting Services.
Alexander McInnes, 34, of Islington, north London, was the crane operator who was self-employed, working for contractor London Tower Cranes.
The four men are charged with gross negligence manslaughter and a Health and Safety at Work Act offence, which they deny.
The Old Bailey trial continues.
