UK Athletics Ltd has been fined £350,000 over the “wholly avoidable” death of a Paralympian killed when a practice cage collapsed on his head.
Father-of-five Abdullah Hayayei, 36, was preparing to represent the United Arab Emirates at the World Athletics Championships in London when the 440lb metal structure fell on him at Newham Leisure Centre in east London on July 11, 2017.
The 5ft high cage toppled over because it was put up incorrectly and without its base plate, in an “accident waiting to happen”.
UK Athletics Ltd pleaded guilty to corporate manslaughter and on Tuesday was fined £350,000 plus £44,000 costs, to be paid over six years.
Keith Davies, 79, who was head of sport for the 2017 World Paralympic Athletics Championships, admitted a health and safety charge and was handed a community order of 175 hours of unpaid work.
Sentencing, Judge Richard Marks KC said the death of Mr Hayayei was “tragic, untimely and wholly avoidable”.
The judge noted failings by UK Athletics were not a “one off” but said any financial penalty would “weaken” its ability to support individual athletes and athletics in the community.
He told retired PE teacher Davies that he knew, or ought to have known, base plates were an “integral part” of the cage construction.
Following an earlier collapse of an identical cage, he was “on notice”, and the judge said: “This was an accident which sooner or later was waiting to happen.”
Previously, Mr Hayayei’s widow, Badriah, who attended court by videolink from the UAE, described the impact his death has had on herself and her five children, who were aged between two and 14 when they lost their father.
“I hope the court looks at the magnitude of the harm to our family because Abdullah was not just a person who passed away. He was a father, a husband with responsibilities, dreams and a future.
“I hope the court takes a just stance against everyone who caused this because what happened was not just a simple mistake but the result of negligence, gross negligence, that could have been avoided if safety procedures adhered to.
“My husband went out to represent his country and raise the name of the UAE but he returned as a corpse because of this negligence.”
The court heard wheelchair user Mr Hayayei, who had cerebral palsy, had been due to compete in the para athletics shot-put event during the World Athletics Championships in Stratford.
In the five years since UK Athletics acquired two identical cages originally used in the 2012 Olympics, they had never been properly assembled with the base plates attached, the court heard.
The two practice cages had been given to UK Athletics by the organisation committee for the London 2012 Games.
One of them had collapsed in 2012 although no-one was injured on that occasion, the court was told.
Prosecutor John Price KC said: “Over this period, very many athletes will have been within the cages and many more standing or passing close by.
“It was a perennial hazard, or to use a familiar phrase, an accident waiting to happen.”
On the afternoon of July 11 2017, Mr Hayayei was training in a cage under supervision of the UAE team coach, Ayman Mohamed Ali Ibrahim, and his assistant.
In a statement, Mr Ibrahim said: “Whilst Abdullah was carrying out the throws, we were surprised by the wind that came all of a sudden and moved the whole cage, causing the bar on the top to fall directly on his head. My assistant and I rushed to help.”
Mr Hayayei collapsed immediately and had to be cut free from netting and, despite the efforts of medics, he never regained consciousness and died at 7.20pm.
Davies had claimed UK Athletics had never been supplied with base plates, but this proved not to be true, the court was told.
The base plates for one of the cages had been photographed in storage at the London stadium but were moved after the incident to Cambridge.Those for the collapsed cage have never been recovered despite searches.
In the wake of the fatal incident, a prohibition notice was put on both the cages barring them from being used.
Mr Price said it was a “remarkable feature” of the case that UK Athletics tried to get the notice lifted on the second cage, which was refused.
According to Sentencing Council guidelines, corporate manslaughter carries a fine of between £180,000 and £20 million.
UK Athletics, the national governing body for athletics in the UK, had an annual revenue of £13.8 million with a “modest profit” of £107,000, according to accounts to March 2025.
The organisation is expected to make a loss of £400,000 in the following year, the court heard.
Detective Chief Inspector Lucie Card of Scotland Yard said: “Abdullah was a talented athlete whose life was cruelly cut short by the failings by those who were meant to keep him safe.
“The lead technician of the firm that had manufactured the throwing cage knew within seconds of seeing the scene that the equipment hadn’t been erected properly.
“Our investigation demonstrated that for years, the cage, which was donated to UK Athletics after the 2012 Olympics, wasn’t being properly secured by UK Athletics and its representatives.
“Establishing what failures caused Abdullah’s death has taken years of meticulous work by a committed team of detectives. It is no less than his family deserved.”
Speaking outside court after the sentencing, she said: “His death arose from negligent approaches to health and safety, and a failure to construct the throwing cage with the necessary supportive equipment. This was a tragedy waiting to happen.”
She added: “We reviewed more than 1,500 documents, took 160 witness statements, and brought experts in to better understand and evidence issues from corporate governance to the design of the throwing cage.
“I would like to thank Abdullah’s family for their support and patience as we work to secure justice for him over the course of this incredibly complex investigation. Today, my thoughts remain with his family and his loved ones.”
In a statement, UK Athletics 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 for what occurred and for the impact it has had on all those affected.
“Since then, substantial changes have been made to strengthen the way safety, governance and event operations are managed across the sport. 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.
“We respectfully accept the Court’s decision today and remain committed to continuing that work with the seriousness and responsibility this case demands.
“Once again, we extend our sincere condolences to Abdullah Hayayei’s family, friends and to everyone affected by this tragedy.”
