A 29-year-old woman died after being struck by a large pile of bricks that fell from a crane at a building site in east London, a court has heard. Michaela Boor sustained fatal head injuries on the morning of 27 March 2018 while walking past the construction site on Burdett Road, Bow. She was pronounced dead two days later at hospital.
Higgins Homes, the principal contractor and designer of the residential development, is on trial at the Old Bailey charged with corporate manslaughter and a health and safety offence. Four construction workers contracted by the firm—Thomas Anstis, Stephen Coulson, Dawood Maan and Alexander McInnes—face the same charges. All defendants deny the allegations.
The Crown Prosecution Service authorised charges in May 2025 following a review of evidence gathered by the Metropolitan Police and the Health and Safety Executive. The trial began on 1 October 2026 and is expected to last eight weeks.
What happened on the morning of the incident?
Boor was walking towards shops with her friend Chelsea Mustafa when the accident occurred. Prosecutor Alexandra Healy KC told the court that their route took them past the Higgins Homes construction site.
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.
According to external reporting, the pallet weighed more than two tonnes. Mustafa managed to escape the bulk of the falling load by running into the road, though some bricks struck her back and hand. Boor, however, remained on the pavement and was hit directly by the falling bricks.
What injuries did Michaela Boor sustain?
The impact caused a fractured skull and severe neurological damage.
She sustained catastrophic brain injuries.Boor received emergency treatment at the scene and was transported to the Royal London Hospital, but her injuries proved unsurvivable. She died on 29 March 2018.
Who are the defendants and what were their roles?
Thomas Anstis, 69, of Banstead, Surrey, served as the senior site manager and temporary work co-ordinator. He held responsibility for overseeing the building site and the work of subcontractors. Stephen Coulson, 69, of Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, was director of Coulson Lifting Services and oversaw lifting operations. He was not present at the site on the day of the incident.
Dawood Maan, 61, of Ashford, Kent, worked as the crane supervisor responsible for overseeing and supervising all lifting operations on site. Alexander McInnes, 34, of Islington, north London, was the crane operator. The four men are charged with gross negligence manslaughter and health and safety offences, while Higgins Homes faces corporate manslaughter and a health and safety charge.
What is the legal context?
This case reflects ongoing concerns about safety standards in the construction industry. Previous incidents have resulted in significant penalties: two construction firms were fined over £1 million after a labourer was fatally crushed when a trench collapsed during excavation work in Surrey in June 2020, highlighting the serious consequences when companies fail to implement proper safety measures.
What happens next in the trial?
The case continues at the Old Bailey with the prosecution presenting evidence of how the accident occurred and what safety failures may have contributed to Boor's death. The trial is expected to examine whether adequate precautions were in place to prevent the pallet from falling onto the public pavement, and whether the defendants took sufficient steps to protect pedestrians passing the construction site.
