UK Athletics has pleaded guilty to corporate manslaughter after a Paralympian was killed by a falling metal pole during training for the 2017 World Para Athletics Championships in London. The organisation faces a fine of up to £5 million.
Abdullah Hayayei, a 36-year-old athlete from the United Arab Emirates, died at Newham Leisure Centre on 14 July 2017 when a metal pole attached to a throwing cage fell on his head. He was pronounced dead at the scene 20 minutes after emergency services arrived.
At a hearing at the Old Bailey on Friday, UK Athletics changed its plea to guilty. Keith Davies, head of sport for the championships, also pleaded guilty to a health and safety offence, and the gross negligence manslaughter case against him was dropped. Sentencing for both will take place at a later date.
An investigation found that the discus cage's stabilising metal lattice base plates had been missing or unused for around five years, from 2012 to 2017, making it dangerously unstable. The Crown Prosecution Service said UK Athletics was grossly negligent in its safety management, leaving equipment in a seriously unsafe condition.
UK Athletics expressed deep regret and offered sympathy to Hayayei's family, friends and teammates. The fine, estimated between £1.2 million and £5 million, comes as a significant financial blow to the organisation, which faced bankruptcy two years ago before recovering through partnerships with the London Marathon and Nike.
Hayayei, a father of five, had competed in the Rio 2016 Paralympics and was preparing for the F34 shot put, discus and javelin events at London 2017.
