Lawyer killed by falling window frames after firms ignored ‘obvious’ safety risk

A lawyer was crushed to death by falling window frames as she walked to work after three construction companies and key staff ignored the ‘obvious’ risk to public safety, a court heard.

Amanda Telfer, 44, was passing by a building site in Hanover Square in central London when a gust of wind toppled over three 13ft-by-13ft wooden structures weighing 655kg.

Members of the public had noticed the window moving in the wind but their concern was not shared by those involved in the project to refurbish the building, jurors were told.

Ms Telfer, an intellectual property and media law specialist at Keystone Law near Oxford Street, was pronounced dead at the scene just before midday on 30 August 2012.

Prosecutor Duncan Atkinson told the Old Bailey: ‘There was a clear and serious risk posed by these window frames given their weight and size.

‘Indeed it was obvious to anyone they carried a clear and serious risk of death.

‘There were a series of obvious and straightforward steps that could have been taken to avoid that risk.’

Mr Atkinson said the delivery of the windows could have been delayed until they were ready to be installed or stored properly rather than being left overnight on the public pavement leaning against the building.

The frames could also have been strapped down to prevent them falling over, it is claimed.

Mr Atkinson said: ‘There was no proper plan in place for them to be lifted from the delivery vehicle and moved to the building or for them to be stored.

‘The process of unloading the large, heavy framed was undertaken without any measures to restrict the free movement of pedestrians.

‘The window frames were simply left on the public pavement overnight leaning against the building.

‘No efforts had been made to secure them, nor had any barrier been placed around them to protect members of the public using that busy thoroughfare.

‘Members of the public who did pass then noticed they moved in the wind and were concerned they might fall.

‘That concern was not shared by those who were actually responsible for making sure they did not fall.’

Project managers Damian Lakin-Hall, 48, and Claire Gordon, 35, and window installer Kelvin Adsett, 63, are charged with gross negligence manslaughter and breaching a general duty at work.

Steve Rogers, 62, the senior project manager responsible for overseeing health and safety is charged with breaching a general duty at work.

The three companies accused of health and safety failures are the principal contractor Westgreen Construction Ltd, the manufacturer of the window frames Drawn Metal Limited, and the window installers I S Europe Ltd.

Rogers and Lakin-Hall, who worked for Westgreen, were both on site after the frames were delivered and had a ‘reasonable duty of care’ to make sure they were secure, jurors heard.

Mr Atkinson said: ‘Instead it appears Westgreen, Rogers and Larkin-Hall simply left it to others to deal with.’

Gordon was also on site as the planning manager for Drawn Metal but also ‘took no meaningful steps to make the frames safe.’

Adsett, the sole employee of I S Europe, personally supervised the delivery of the window frames, the court heard.

Mr Atkinson said: ‘He was actually responsible for placing them against the wall of the building.

‘He was also directly responsible for failing to take any steps to secure the frames and exclude the public from the area.’

Lakin-Hall, of Portsmouth Road, Cobham, Surrey; Claire Gordon, of Ashby Crescent, Leeds; and Adsett, of New Road, Slough, Berkshire, all deny manslaughter and breaching a general duty at work.

Rogers, of Sheering Mill Lane, Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire, denies breaching a general duty of work.

I S Europe Ltd, from Slough, Westgreen Construction Ltd, from Richmond, Surrey, and Leeds-based Drawn Metal Ltd, all deny with breaching general duty of care to an employee and breaching general duty of care to a non-employee.

The trial continues

ends