Abdullah Hayayei died in a tragic accident while training in 2017 (Image: Warren Little/Getty Images)
UK Athletics have been slapped with a £350,000 fine over the “wholly avoidable” death of a Paralympian who was killed 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 on July 11, 2017.
The five-foot-high cage toppled over because it had been assembled incorrectly and without its base plate, in an “accident waiting to happen”. UK Athletics pleaded guilty to corporate manslaughter and on Tuesday were 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.
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 should 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”, with the judge stating: “This was an accident which sooner or later was waiting to happen.”
Prior to sentencing, Mr Hayayei’s widow, Badriah, who joined the proceedings via videolink from the UAE, spoke of the devastating toll his death has taken on her and her five children, who were aged between two and 14 when they lost their father.
She said: “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 was told that wheelchair user Mr Hayayei, who had cerebral palsy, had been due to compete in the para athletics shot-put event at the World Athletics Championships in Stratford.
In the five years since UK Athletics had acquired two identical cages originally used during the 2012 Olympics, they had never been correctly assembled with the base plates fitted, the court heard.
One of them had collapsed in 2012, although nobody was hurt on that occasion, the court was told.
Hayayei left behind his wife and five children following his death (Image: GETTY)
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.
Davies had maintained that UK Athletics had never been provided with base plates, but this was proven to be false, the court heard.
In the wake of the fatal incident, a prohibition notice was imposed on both cages, barring them from any further use. Mr Price described it as a “remarkable feature” of the case that UK Athletics sought to have the notice lifted on the second cage, a request that was ultimately rejected.
Under Sentencing Council guidelines, corporate manslaughter carries a financial penalty of between £180,000 and £20million.
UK Athletics issued 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.”
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