UK Athletics has been fined £350,000 for the 'wholly avoidable' death of Paralympian Abdullah Hayayei, who was killed when a practice throwing cage collapsed on him at Newham Leisure Centre in July 2017. The 36-year-old father of five was preparing for the World Para Athletics Championships when the 440lb structure fell because it had been set up incorrectly without its base plate.
The Old Bailey heard that the cage, one of two acquired after the London 2012 Olympics, had never been properly assembled with base plates attached. One had previously collapsed in 2012 without causing injury. Prosecutor John Price KC described the equipment as a 'perennial hazard' and 'an accident waiting to happen'.
UK Athletics pleaded guilty to corporate manslaughter and was fined £350,000, with £44,000 costs payable over six years. Keith Davies, 79, head of sport for the 2017 championships, admitted a health and safety offence and received a community order requiring 175 hours of unpaid work.
Sentencing, Judge Richard Marks KC said the death was 'tragic, untimely and wholly avoidable', noting a long-running pattern of unsafe practice. He added that a higher fine would risk weakening UK Athletics' ability to support sport at elite and community level.
Hayayei's widow Badriah, who gave evidence from the UAE, said her husband 'returned as a corpse because of this negligence'. Detectives revealed years of failures in equipment storage and assembly. UK Athletics apologised, stating it had made 'substantial changes' to safety and governance procedures.
