Foster + Partners cleared in Lambeth window death trial, two firms convicted

A jury at Inner London Crown Court cleared Foster + Partners of responsibility for the death of Mick Ferris, a 53-year-old coach driver, after a 130kg window fell from the penthouse of The Corniche on Albert Embankment in October 2018. Ferris was killed instantly when the window detached and fell 90 metres to the street below.

The same jury found two other firms guilty of safety breaches under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. St James, the project managers for The Corniche, and Lindner Prater, the engineering firm, were convicted after more than 11 hours of deliberation. The Health and Safety Executive prosecuted the case.

Design changes and missed warnings

The court heard that the window design had been changed from inward-opening to outward-opening before the fatal incident. Prosecutor Gordon Menzies told the jury that a restrictor designed to prevent the window from detaching had been removed. He said the wind was strong enough to force the window open beyond its safety limit, prising the hinges off.

Menzies said the incident was not unforeseeable. A window had fallen from the same building in August 2017, injuring no one. The prosecution argued that the firms involved had 12 opportunities to reassess the risks of outward-opening windows but failed to act. The jury was told that the design was only changed back to inward-opening after Ferris’s death.

Foster + Partners argued that its role was limited to the visual aspects of the design and that it was not responsible for technical safety decisions. The firm’s lawyers said it did not oversee the engineering details that led to the window’s detachment. A spokesperson for Foster + Partners said, "Our thoughts remain with Mr Ferris’s family, as they have since October 2018. We note the court’s decision and are grateful to the jury for the time and care they have taken in considering this matter."

What happens next

St James and Lindner Prater will be sentenced at a later date. The Health and Safety Executive said it would review the verdict before making further comments. Neither firm has issued a public statement since the verdict was delivered on 6 August 2026.