By Lars Mucklejohn Crest Nicholson’s reported a slump in profits for 2023 amid runaway costs a possible legal bill of £13m over a 2021 fire, after the FTSE 100 housebuilder issued a profit warning last week. The firm also announced that current chief executive Peter Truscott will retire later this year and be replaced by rival Persimmon’s chief commercial officer Martyn Clark. The company’s pretax profit slumped to £41.4m from £137.8m year-on-year, dragged down by additional costs of £5.5m related to issues at its Brightwells Yard regeneration scheme in Farnham and “other legacy and low-margin…