Leeds firm in court over death of lawyer crushed by window frame

A LEEDS company was one of three which today denied a raft of charges over the death of a lawyer crushed when a half-tonne window frame toppled on her.
Amanda Telfer, who was killed when a half-tonne wooden window frame toppled on to her as she walked in Hanover Street, central London.Amanda Telfer, who was killed when a half-tonne wooden window frame toppled on to her as she walked in Hanover Street, central London.
Amanda Telfer, who was killed when a half-tonne wooden window frame toppled on to her as she walked in Hanover Street, central London.

Amanda Telfer, 44, was killed when the 13ft by 13ft window fell on her as she walked past a building in Hanover Square, central London, on August 30 2012.

Members of the public lifted the frame off and tried to resuscitate her but Ms Telfer, who worked for legal firm Keystone Law and was a volunteer for human rights charity Reprieve, died shortly after.

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Claire Gordon, 35, of Ashby Crescent, Leeds; Damian Lakin-Hall, 47, of Portsmouth Road, Cobham, Surrey; and Kelvin Adsett - also known as Kelvin Schultz - a 63-year-old from New Road, Slough, Berkshire, appeared before the Old Bailey accused of manslaughter.

Adsett, 63, an IS Europe Limited supervisor, denied the charge of gross negligence by allowing window frames to be delivered to the site and dangerously stored.

He also denied failing to take reasonable care for health and safety at work by failing to manage the risks associated with the delivery and installation of window and door frames.

Gordon, who was employed by Leeds-based Drawn Metal Limited as project manager, and Lakin-Hall, the project/site manager working for Westgreen Construction Limited, denied similar counts.

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Steven Rogers, 61, of Sheering Mill Lane in Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire, pleaded not guilty to a single charge of failure to take reasonable care for safety while at work as an employee of Westgreen Construction Limited.

IS Europe of Slough, Westgreen Construction of Richmond in Surrey and Drawn Metal Ltd were represented in court by lawyers who entered not guilty pleas to health and safety charges on their behalf.

Members of Ms Telfer’s family sat in court as Judge Peter Rook QC went on to set a six to eight-week trial for January 31 next year with a further hearing on November 18.

All the defendants in the dock were granted continued bail.