Mon, February 23, 2026
UK Athletics pleads guilty to corporate manslaughter following death of Paralympian
UK Athletics (UKA) has pleaded guilty to corporate manslaughter following the death of Abdullah Hayayei, an Emirati Paralympian who was fatally hit on the head by a metal pole during preparation for the London World Paralympic Athletics Championships in 2017.
36-year-old father-of-five, Hayayei, represented the United Arab Emirates in javelin, shot put and discus. He had cerebral palsy and competed in the F34 classification for athletes with coordination impairments affecting muscle control and movement.
He was training at Newham Leisure Centre in East London on July 11, 2017, when the pole, which was attached to a throwing cage, fell on him. Hayayei was pronounced dead at the centre 20 minutes after the incident. The Metropolitan Police and the London Borough of Newham’s investigation discovered that the “10 ladder-like metal connectors linking the cage’s bases and posts” had not been in use for roughly 5 years – 2012-2017, resulting in the fatal incident. Officers examined more than 1,500 documents, 160 statements and spoke to 80 witnesses during the process.
In the latest update, UKA has now changed its plea to corporate manslaughter to guilty at the Old Bailey before Judge Mark Lucraft KC as of 20 February 2026. Keith Davies, who was Head of Sport for the 2017 World Paralympic Athletics Championships, denied gross negligence manslaughter, but has now pleaded guilty to a health and safety charge. After changing his plea, his gross negligence manslaughter case was dropped.
Both Davies and UKA will be sentenced at a two-day hearing in June. Davies was granted continued bail on the condition he liaise with the Probation Service for a pre-sentence report, according to Daily Mail.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) stated: “UK Athletics owned the discus cage and was responsible for its safety at its events…
Davies…was involved in the purchase of the cage before the 2012 London Olympics and led its assembly and use until July 2017.”
Colin Gibbs, Senior Specialist Prosecutor with the CPS Special Crime Division, expressed: “For years there was a failure to inspect, maintain and properly manage basic safety components, leaving a heavy metal structure dangerously unstable.”
Detective Sergeant Brett Hagen, stated, “cases of this nature are rare and particularly difficult to prosecute due to various complexities surrounding the legislation, so we welcome this outcome [early guilty plea].”
UKA could now receive a fine of between £1.2 million and £5 million. Though, deductions can be made for admitting to the offence before trial, according to The Guardian. The organisation faced bankruptcy just two years ago following a drop in broadcast and sponsorship income and event losses.
In a statement, UKA voiced: “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, teammates 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.”
