The organisation’s former head of sport Keith Davies ‘rushed’ the assembling of an unstable metal cage that fell on top of para-athlete Abduallah Hayayei as he trained for the World Para Athletics Championships in 2017
UK Athletics has been fined £350,000 after admitting corporate manslaughter over the death of para‑athlete Abdullah Hayayei, who was killed when a throwing cage collapsed during training in Newham in 2017.
Its former head of sport, Leytonstone resident Keith Davies, has also been sentenced for a health and safety offence following what police described as “a tragedy waiting to happen”.
Discus athlete Hayayei, 36, was training at Newham Leisure Centre on 11th July 2017 ahead of the World Para Athletics Championships when the five‑metre‑high cage fell and struck him on the head. Despite efforts from emergency services, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
At the Old Bailey today (2nd June), UK Athletics was ordered to pay a £350,000 fine plus costs after pleading guilty in February. Davies, 79, of Bushwood, Leytonstone, received a community order with 175 hours of unpaid work after admitting an offence under Section 7 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
A joint investigation by the Met’s Specialist Crime Command and Newham Council found that key stabilising components of the cage (ten metal lattice base plates designed to secure the structure) had been missing or unused for around five years. Detectives later established that the cage, originally donated after the 2012 Olympics, had repeatedly been erected without these restraints at UK Athletics events.
The cage had been assembled the day before Hayayei’s death by Davies and five assistants, working in poor light and “in a rush”, according to evidence heard in court. A lead technician from the cage’s Swedish manufacturer told officers he could see that it had not been properly secured.
A meteorological expert advised that high winds contributed to the collapse, while a topographical survey found the cage had been erected on uneven ground. Corporate governance specialists also gave evidence about UK Athletics’ lack of effective health and safety processes and the absence of mechanisms for staff to report safety concerns.
Colin Gibbs, senior specialist prosecutor with the Crown Prosecution Service, said Hayayei’s death was “wholly avoidable”.
“For years there was a failure to inspect, maintain and properly manage basic safety components, leaving a heavy metal structure dangerously unstable,” he said.
In a statement issued after sentencing, Hayayei’s family said: “Abdullah was not just a person who passed away. He was a father and a husband with responsibilities, dreams and a future. What happened was not just a simple mistake but the result of gross negligence that could have been avoided had the required safety procedures been adhered to.”
Hayayei had joined the UAE military after leaving school and aspired to be a paratrooper before suffering a serious head injury during a training exercise at age 21. He later took up discus and went on to compete at the Rio Paralympics in 2016, placing sixth and seventh in his events. He had planned to compete again at the Tokyo Paralympic games.
Detective Chief Inspector Lucie Card said the case showed the Met’s commitment to securing justice “no matter how complex the investigation or how long it takes”.
“Abdullah was a talented athlete whose life was cruelly cut short by the failings of those who were meant to keep him safe,” she said. “Our investigation demonstrated that for years the cage wasn’t being properly secured by UK Athletics and its representatives. This was a tragedy waiting to happen.”
UK Athletics issued an apology and said it had made “substantial changes” to safety and governance procedures.
The organisation said: “Today’s sentence marks a significant moment for UK Athletics, and our thoughts remain with the family, friends and loved ones of Abdullah Hayayei following his tragic death in 2017. The failings identified in this case should never have happened, and UK Athletics is deeply and genuinely sorry.”
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