Abdullah Hayayei died after a training accident at Newham Leisure Centre on the eve of the 2017 World Para Champs in London.
UK Athletics has pleaded guilty to corporate manslaughter following the death in 2017 of the para thrower, Abdullah Hayayei, during training ahead of the World Para Athletics Championships in London.
UKA originally denied the charge but changed their plea to guilty during a hearing at the Old Bailey on Friday (Feb 20).
Keith Davies, 78, the official who was head of sport for the 2017 World Paralympic Athletics Championships, has pleaded guilty to a health and safety charge which means a previous charge of gross negligence manslaughter will be dropped.
The sentencing is expected to take place in June with UKA facing a sizeable fine, with estimates ranging from £1.2 to £5 million, although UKA will hope that there will be deductions in the severity of the punishment.
It comes at a time when UKA is trying to rebuild its finances after a difficult pandemic period and then almost going bankrupt a couple of years ago. Those with longer memories will remember the governing body actually went bankrupt, too, following the Diane Modahl drugs case in the 1990s with the British Athletic Federation being forced to change its name to UK Athletics during the process.
Davies is now unlikely to now face a prison sentence, but AW understands his colleagues in the officiating community – many of whom are volunteers – have been rocked by the news.
Hayayei, 36, died on July 11, 2017 after a metal cage fell on him while he was training at Newham Leisure Centre in east London ahead of the global championships.
Hayayei, who represented the United Arab Emirates at the Rio 2016 Games, had been due to compete in the F34 shot put, discus and javelin at the 2017 World Para Athletics Championships.
In November 2017 Davies was interviewed under caution in connection with the investigation. Both he and UKA were then charged in January 2025. They pleaded not guilty at an earlier hearing in March 2025.
UKA said in a statement: “UK Athletics deeply regrets that the incident in July 2017 resulted in the tragic loss of Abdullah Hayayei’s life.
“Our deepest thoughts and sympathy remain with his family, friends, team-mates and all those affected by the events of that day. As you will appreciate, due to the ongoing court proceedings UK Athletics is unable to comment any further at this time.”
Detective Sergeant Brett Hagen, who led the Met Police’s investigation, said: “Our thoughts are with Mr Hayayei’s family during what will be a significant moment for them. We thank them for their ongoing patience, understanding and dignity throughout this lengthy and complex investigation.
“The resulting charges and early guilty plea reflect our perseverance and dedication and the significant work undertaken to build a comprehensive and compelling case against the defendants.
“Cases of this nature are rare and particularly difficult to prosecute due to various complexities surrounding the legislation, so we welcome this outcome.”
Since the fatal accident nine years ago, UKA has changed its health and safety processes significantly and has also undergone several changes of leadership.
Under its current chief executive, Jack Buckner, the organisation – along with the recently formed Athletic Ventures – is poised to stage the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham this summer and is bidding to hold the World Athletics Championships in London in 2029, the latter of which has Government support.