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Paralympic athlete killed by collapsing equipment at London training site
UK Athletics has been ordered to pay £350,000 in fines and £44,000 in costs after a Paralympic athlete died when a metal throwing cage collapsed during a 2017 training session in east London. Abdullah Hayayei, 36, suffered fatal head injuries when a heavy metal bar fell on him as he prepared for the World Para-athletics Championships.
Background and career
Hayayei, a wheelchair user with cerebral palsy, had represented the United Arab Emirates at the 2016 Rio Paralympics, finishing sixth in the javelin and seventh in the shot put. His widow, Badriah, told the court his death had left her raising their five young children alone.
Investigation findings
The Old Bailey heard the cage collapsed in a gust of wind because critical base plates were missing. Police investigators later found photos from around a dozen athletics events showing the same cage being used without proper restraints. The legal process, which concluded nearly a decade after the incident, revealed UK Athletics initially attempted to shift blame to its former head of sport, Keith Davies, and even the Newham training venue.
Court proceedings and sentencing
Judge Richard Marks KC described Hayayei's death as "tragic, untimely and wholly avoidable," stating it was an accident "waiting to happen." He fined UK Athletics £350,000, payable over six years, noting the organization's £13.8 million turnover in 2025 and projected £400,000 loss. Davies, 79, who was responsible for the equipment, received a 175-hour community service order after pleading guilty to breaching health and safety laws.
"This was a deeply unworthy document by a national sporting body and one of which it should be ashamed."
Prosecutor John Price KC, referring to UK Athletics' initial response
UK Athletics' response
In a statement, UK Athletics expressed "deep sorrow" and acknowledged "substantial changes" to safety protocols and governance since the incident. "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," the organization said. It added it would continue this work "with the seriousness and responsibility this case demands."
