Abdullah Hayayei, 36, was preparing to represent the United Arab Emirates at the World Athletics Championships in London when a practice cage collapsed on his head during training
UK Athletics Ltd has been handed a £350,000 fine over the “wholly avoidable” death of a Paralympian who lost his life when a practice cage collapsed on his head.
Father-of-five Abdullah Hayayei, 36, was preparing to compete for the United Arab Emirates at the World Athletics Championships in London when the 440lb metal structure crashed down on him at Newham Leisure Centre in east London on July 11, 2017.
The 5ft high cage toppled over because it had been erected 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 served as 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.
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Passing sentence, Judge Richard Marks KC described the death of Mr Hayayei as “tragic, untimely and wholly avoidable”.
The judge noted that the failings by UK Athletics were not a “one off” but acknowledged that any financial penalty would “weaken” its capacity to support individual athletes and grassroots athletics.
He told retired PE teacher Davies that he knew, or ought to have known, that base plates were an “integral part” of the cage construction.
Following an earlier collapse of an identical cage, he had been “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 joined the proceedings via videolink from the UAE, spoke of the devastating impact his death has had on her 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 that wheelchair user Mr Hayayei, who had cerebral palsy, had been due to take part in the para athletics shot-put event at the World Athletics Championships in Stratford.
In the five years since UK Athletics had obtained two identical cages originally utilised during the 2012 Olympics, they had never been correctly assembled with the base plates fitted, the court heard.
The two practice cages had been handed over to UK Athletics by the organising committee for the London 2012 Games.
One of them had collapsed in 2012, although nobody was hurt 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 the supervision of 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 instantly and had to be cut free from the netting and, despite the best efforts of medical staff, he never regained consciousness and passed away at 7.20pm.
Davies had maintained that UK Athletics had never been provided with base plates, but this was proven to be false, the court heard.
The base plates for one of the cages had been photographed while in storage at the London stadium but were relocated after the incident to Cambridge.
Those belonging to the collapsed cage have never been found despite extensive searches.
Following the fatal incident, a prohibition notice was placed on both cages, preventing them from further use.
Mr Price said it was a “remarkable feature” of the case that UK Athletics attempted to have the notice lifted on the second cage, which was ultimately refused. According to Sentencing Council guidelines, corporate manslaughter carries a fine of between £180,000 and £20million.
UK Athletics, the national governing body for athletics in the UK, had an annual revenue of £13.8million 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 following 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.”
UK Athletics released a statement saying: “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.”
