Four companies, including the responsible architecture firm, are being prosecuted after a coach driver was struck and killed by glass falling from the Corniche on the Albert Embankment
The falling glass death occurred in 2018, as a window fell 25 storeys from the building’s penthouse, or roughly 250 feet.
Mick Ferris, a 53-year-old coach driver, was returning to his coach when the glass hit him and killed him instantly.
Four companies involved with the building face the same charge
Foster and Partners is the architecture firm to stand trial, the same firm that designed the famous London Gherkin, along with Lindner Prater Ltd, Wintech Ltd, and St James Group Ltd. All face a charge of failing to discharge a duty under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, exposing people to a health and safety risk in relation to ‘the outward opening penthouse window vents.’
The Corniche is a luxury tower block with 252 apartments, with prices ranging from £2.7m to £6.25m.
A court date has now been set, and the firms will all stand trial at the same court on 6 July 2026.
Information has not been forthcoming regarding how the glass fell, and shortly after the incident in 2018, the Berkeley Group (responsible for St James Group Ltd), issued a statement saying “It is with great sadness that we learnt of an incident at our Corniche development on Albert Embankment this morning, in which a man suffered fatal injuries.
“We extend our deepest sympathies to his family at this incredibly difficult time.
“We are investigating this incident as a matter of urgency and working with the emergency services to establish what happened.”
The dangers of falling objects cannot be understated
In September last year, Sage Homes Limited were investigated by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and found guilty of safety breaches leading to a child being injured by a falling pipe in 2021.
The cast-iron pipe was being held up by a TV cable as work progressed on a house. The cable was removed, allowing the top two sections of the pipe to fall across the pavement, where it struck a passing child on the head and fractured their skull.
The pipe weighed over 45kg, and the construction company was found guilty of failing to properly secure it. Jason Scorey, a director of Sage Homes Limited, said he saw no need to secure the pipe to the wall.
The company and Mr Scorey were sentenced for breaching Sections 3(1) and 37 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act. Act 1974.
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