UK Athletics finally pleads guilty to corporate manslaughter of paralympian

UK Athletics has finally admitted the corporate manslaughter of Paralympian Abdullah Hayayei, after a metal pole hit him in the head.

The 36-year-old represented the United Arab Emirates and died while training in 2017 at Newham Leisure Centre, east London.

The disabled athlete was training to represent the UAE in the F34 class discus, javelin and shot put at the World Para Athletics Championships in London.

The F34 category is:

for field athletes with movement affected to a low degree in the trunk and arms with highly affected legs.

These athletes minimise the affect of their impairment by precisely timing the release phase of the throw.

During training, part of a throwing cage fell on Abdullah and fatally injured him.

UK Athletics culpable

The Crown Prosecution Service stated:

Mr Hayayei, 36, was practising the shot put ahead of the 2017 World Para Athletics Championships in London when, during strong winds, parts of a metal discus cage collapsed and struck his head, killing him. An investigation was launched by the Metropolitan Police Service and the London Borough of Newham’s Health and Safety team, and it was discovered that the stabilising metal lattice base plates of the discus cage were missing.

It was later established that these components – 10 ladder like metal connectors linking the cage’s bases and posts – had been missing or unused for around five years, between 2012 and 2017, significantly reducing stability.

UK athletics had previously denied the charge, but on Friday, 20 February, they finally pleaded guilty to corporate manslaughter, contrary to section 1 of the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act [2007].

Keith Davies, UK Athletics’ former head of sport, also pleaded guilty to failing to take reasonable care for health and safety, contrary to section 7 (1) and section 33 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act [1974].

Prosecutors in the case determined that athletes were using a five-metre, portable, free-standing metal discus cage. It was unstable and missing its stabilising base.

Additionally:

up to 200kg of connected metal was able to move and fall in high winds, creating an obvious and serious risk of death.

They found that the risk of death was “obvious, serious, and longstanding.” It could also have been easily prevented.

Colin Gibbs, Senior Specialist Prosecutor with the CPS Special Crime Division, said that UK Athletics were “grossly negligent”.

He added:

They left equipment in a seriously unsafe condition, and Mr Hayayei’s death was wholly avoidable – a fact the organisation has admitted.

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