Paralympian Abdullah Hayayei's Death and UK Athletics Fine
Abdullah Hayayei, who competed at the 2016 Paralympics representing the United Arab Emirates, finished sixth in the javelin and seventh in the shot put events.
A judge at the Old Bailey has imposed a fine of £350,000 on UK Athletics, along with £44,000 in costs, following the death of a Paralympic athlete caused by falling equipment at a training facility in east London.
Shot-putter Abdullah Hayayei died when a metal cage collapsed while he was preparing for the 2017 World Athletics Championships.
Mr. Hayayei had previously represented the UAE at the Rio Paralympics, competing in both javelin and shot put.
Judge Richard Marks KC described the athlete's death as
"tragic, untimely and wholly avoidable."
Additionally, the court handed a 175-hour community service order to UK Athletics' former head of sport, 79-year-old Keith Davies, who was responsible for the equipment. The cage had been assembled without vital base plates.
The court heard that a strong gust of wind caused the cage to collapse, resulting in Mr. Hayayei sustaining fatal head injuries from a heavy metal bar.
Mr. Hayayei was a 36-year-old wheelchair user living with cerebral palsy.
His widow, Badriah, testified that his death left her to cope alone with five young children.
UK Athletics had previously pleaded guilty to corporate manslaughter in February, while Mr. Davies admitted to breaching health and safety laws at the same hearing.
The investigation and legal proceedings following Mr. Hayayei's death spanned nearly a decade.
Police detailed that their investigation involved meticulous detective work over several years, uncovering photographs from approximately a dozen athletics events where the same cage was used by UK Athletics officials. These images revealed that restraints were not employed to secure the equipment.
During sentencing, Judge Marks stated that Mr. Hayayei's death was an accident that was inevitable:
"An accident which sooner or later was 'waiting to happen'."
Prosecutor's Statement and UK Athletics' Response
Earlier in the hearing, Prosecutor John Price KC informed the court that in the years after the incident, UK Athletics attempted to shift blame for the athlete's death onto Mr. Davies and even tried to implicate the Newham venue.
He characterized a statement later submitted by UK Athletics as
"a deeply unworthy document by a national sporting body and one of which it should be ashamed."
When fining UK Athletics, Judge Marks acknowledged that the organization's previous management had adopted this
"most unattractive"stance, which has since been repudiated by the current leadership who expressed
"sincere regret."
He described UK Athletics as essentially
"a club of passionate members"focused on developing elite athletes and grassroots sport.
The judge noted that UK Athletics had a turnover of £13.8 million in 2025 with a projected loss of £400,000 and granted the organization six years to pay the fine in instalments.
UK Athletics' Statement
In a statement, UK Athletics expressed that it was
"deeply sorry"and confirmed that
"substantial changes"have been made regarding safety and governance.
They added:
"While nothing can undo what happened, there has been a determined focus on learning from these events and ensuring stronger standards and safeguards are in place throughout athletics."
UK Athletics concluded:
"We respectfully accept the court's decision today and remain committed to continuing that work with the seriousness and responsibility this case demands."
