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.”
