UK Athletics fined £350,000 over Paralympian’s death in cage collapse
A judge at the Old Bailey has fined UK Athletics £350,000 plus £44,000 in costs after the death of Paralympic shot-putter Abdullah Hayayei, who was killed when a metal cage collapsed on him at a training ground in east London in 2017. Hayayei, a 36-year-old wheelchair user with cerebral palsy, was preparing for the World Para-athletics Championships when a strong gust of wind caused the cage to fall, striking him with a heavy metal bar and causing fatal head injuries. UK Athletics had pleaded guilty to corporate manslaughter in February, and its former head of sport, 79-year-old Keith Davies, pleaded guilty to a health and safety breach. Judge Richard Marks KC described the death as “tragic, untimely and wholly avoidable,” noting that the cage had been assembled with vital base plates missing. The court heard that in the years after the incident, UK Athletics attempted to blame the athlete’s death on Davies and even “tried to point the finger” at the venue, a stance the judge called “most unattractive” but one disavowed by the current leadership. UK Athletics said it was “deeply sorry” and that “substantial changes” have been made around safety and governance. The judge granted the organisation six years to pay the fine in instalments, noting its 2025 turnover of £13.8m and projected loss of £400,000.
What’s reported
Abdullah Hayayei died when a metal cage collapsed on him at a training ground in east London in 2017.
He was a 36-year-old wheelchair user with cerebral palsy who had represented the UAE at the Rio Paralympics in javelin and shot put.
UK Athletics pleaded guilty to corporate manslaughter in February; former head of sport Keith Davies pleaded guilty to a health and safety breach.
The cage had been assembled with vital base plates missing, and a strong gust of wind caused its collapse.
Judge Richard Marks KC described the death as “tragic, untimely and wholly avoidable” and an accident that was “waiting to happen.”
UK Athletics was fined £350,000 plus £44,000 in costs, to be paid in instalments over six years.
Davies received a 175-hour community service order.
Prosecutor John Price KC said UK Athletics initially tried to blame the athlete’s death on Davies and the venue, calling a later statement “a deeply unworthy document.”
The court heard from Hayayei’s widow Badriah, who said his death left her coping alone with five young children.
The investigation and legal process took nearly a decade.
Key figures
Abdullah Hayayei – Paralympic shot-putter who died
Judge Richard Marks KC – sentencing judge
Keith Davies – former head of sport at UK Athletics, given community service order
Badriah – widow of Abdullah Hayayei
John Price KC – prosecutor in the hearing
Sources: BBC News
