UK Athletics has been fined £350,000 and ordered to pay £44,000 in costs after being found responsible for the death of Paralympic shot-putter Abdullah Hayayei, who was killed when a throwing cage collapsed during training in east London.
As reported by BBC Sport on Tuesday, the sentencing at the Old Bailey followed UK Athletics’ earlier guilty plea to corporate manslaughter over the 2017 incident, which occurred as Hayayei was preparing for the World Athletics Championships.
Judge Richard Marks KC described the circumstances as “tragic, untimely and wholly avoidable,” telling the court that the fatal collapse was an accident that was “waiting to happen.”
The court heard that the metal throwing cage collapsed after a strong gust of wind, with investigators finding that key base plates had not been fitted when the structure was assembled. Hayayei, who was a 36-year-old wheelchair user living with cerebral palsy, died from head injuries after being struck by a heavy metal bar.
He had previously represented the United Arab Emirates Paralympic team at the Rio Paralympics, competing in javelin and shot put events.
Former UK Athletics head of sport Keith Davies was also sentenced, receiving a 175-hour community service order after admitting breaches of health and safety law linked to his responsibility for the equipment.
The court heard that the throwing cage had been assembled incorrectly and that safety restraints were not properly used, despite repeated instances where the same equipment had been deployed at athletics events.
Prosecutors told the court that UK Athletics had, in the aftermath of the incident, attempted to shift blame onto individuals and the venue, a position later described as “deeply unworthy” for a national governing body.
Judge Marks said that while the organisation’s previous stance during legal proceedings was “most unattractive,” it had since been disavowed by current leadership, who expressed sincere regret over the tragedy.
The judge also noted UK Athletics’ financial position, including a turnover of £13.8 million and projected losses, and allowed the organisation six years to pay the fine in instalments.
The investigation and legal process lasted nearly a decade, with police uncovering evidence of repeated safety failings involving the same equipment across multiple events.
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