UK Athletics fined £350,000 over corporate manslaughter conviction in Paralympian’s death

UK Athletics has been fined 350,000 British pounds ($471,000) and ordered to pay 44,000 pounds ($59,000) in court costs following a guilty plea to corporate manslaughter. The sentencing, issued on Tuesday, concludes legal proceedings regarding the 2017 death of UAE Paralympian Abdullah Hayayei, who was killed when a metal throwing cage collapsed on him during training in London.

Hayayei, aged 36, was preparing for the 2017 World Para Athletics Championships at the Newham Leisure Centre when the incident occurred. He had made his Paralympic debut in the javelin and shot put at the 2016 Rio Games. A police and health and safety investigation determined that the collapse was caused by missing stabilising metal lattice base plates on the discus cage. Hayayei was pronounced dead at the scene.

Colin Gibbs of the Crown Prosecution Service described the organisation’s conduct as "grossly negligent," stating that UK Athletics left equipment in a "seriously unsafe condition." Gibbs noted that the death of the talented athlete was "wholly avoidable" and emphasised that the failings in safety management were a direct cause of the tragedy.

Keith Davies, the head of sport for the 2017 championships, also pleaded guilty to an offence under the Health and Safety at Work Act. The 78-year-old received a community order requiring 175 hours of unpaid work. Both UK Athletics and Davies entered their guilty pleas in February, leading to the current sentencing outcomes.

In a statement, UK Athletics expressed deep regret for the incident. The organisation acknowledged that the identified failings "should never have happened" and asserted that there has been a "determined focus on learning from these events." It stated that stronger standards and safeguards are now being implemented throughout athletics to prevent similar occurrences.