UK Athletics Pleads Guilty to Corporate Manslaughter
UK Athletics has entered a guilty plea to the charge of corporate manslaughter in connection with the death of Paralympian Abdullah Hayayei.
Hayayei, aged 36, died in July 2017 after a metal cage fell on him while he was training at Newham Leisure Centre in London.
Initially, in March 2025, UK Athletics pleaded not guilty to the charge, but during a hearing at the Old Bailey on Friday, they changed their plea to guilty.
Keith Davies' Guilty Plea to Health and Safety Charge
Keith Davies, who was head of sport for the 2017 World Para-athletics Championships, also pleaded guilty to a health and safety offence. Previously, he had denied gross negligence manslaughter.
Prosecutor Karen Robinson requested the court to schedule a two-day sentencing hearing in early June. She confirmed that the prosecution would not pursue a trial and that any remaining charges would be addressed following sentencing.
Davies, aged 78, was granted continued bail with the condition that he cooperate with the Probation Service for the preparation of a pre-sentence report.
Background on Abdullah Hayayei
At the time of the incident, Hayayei was training for the World Para-athletics Championships in London. He was a thrower representing the United Arab Emirates, preparing to compete in the F34 shot put, discus, and javelin events.
Hayayei was a father of five and had made his Paralympic debut at the 2016 Rio Games, where he finished sixth in the javelin and seventh in the shot put.
London 2017 was set to be his second appearance at a world championship. At the 2015 event in Doha, Qatar, he achieved fifth place in the discus and eighth in the shot put.
Tribute to Hayayei
A moment of silence was observed in Hayayei's honour during the opening ceremony at London Stadium.
