UK Athletics has pleaded guilty to the corporate manslaughter of an Emirati Paralympian who was hit on the head by a metal pole during training.
Abdullah Hayayei, who represented the UAE, was fatally injured at Newham Leisure Centre, East London, on July 11, 2017, when he was aged 36.
He was preparing to compete in the F34 class discus, javelin and shot put at the World Para Athletics Championships in London, when part of a throwing cage fell on him.
Emergency services and police were called, but despite the efforts of medical staff he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Scotland Yard launched an investigation with Newham Council’s health and safety team. Inquiries established the throwing cage had not been put up correctly, making it unstable.
On Friday, UK Athletics Ltd admitted corporate manslaughter, having previously denied the charge.
Prosecutors had claimed the British governing body for athletics caused the death of Mr Hayayei by “supplying, for use at an organised para-athletics training event in which he participated, a discus/shot put cage, which it used and operated without its base structure and which collapsed” on to the Paralympian while he was practising shot putting.
UK Athletics had previously denied a lesser alternative health and safety offence.
Keith Davies, 78, head of sport for the 2017 World Paralympic Athletics Championships, had denied gross negligence manslaughter.
On Friday, Davies, of Leytonstone, East London, pleaded guilty to the health and safety charge. The new pleas were entered at the Old Bailey before Judge Mark Lucraft KC.
Prosecutor Karen Robinson invited the court to set a two-day sentencing hearing in early June. She confirmed the prosecution would not seek trial and the outstanding charges would be dealt with at the conclusion of sentencing.
Davies was granted continued bail on the condition he liaise with the Probation Service for a pre-sentence report.
In a statement, UK Athletics said it “deeply regrets” the incident, and said of Mr Hayayei: “Our deepest thoughts and sympathy remain with his family, friends, teammates and all those affected by the events of that day.”
London's Metropolitan Police said the conviction was the result of a meticulous investigation, which required detailed engineering expertise to understand the chain of events that led to the tragedy.
Officers examined more than 1,500 documents, took around 160 statements, spoke to more than 80 witnesses and collated a number of expert reports.
Detective Sergeant Brett Hagen, who led the 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.”
Mr Hayayei had fought back from severe injuries suffered during an accident when he was a serviceman in 2001. While training with the UAE Armed Forces, a metal rod fell on his head, resulting in severe nerve damage and the disability he had until his death.
Mr Hayayei continued to work for the Armed Forces after he recovered and became an para-athlete.
His teammate Mohammed Al Hammadi, who won the UAE’s first medals – a silver and bronze – at the World Para Athletics Championships in 2017, dedicated them to Mr Hayayei and gave them to his children. Paying tribute at the time of his funeral, his elder sister Mariam Hayayei described him as a kind, helpful and fun person who had taken care of his mother after his father died in 1983.
“He was only three years old when our father passed away and when he became older, he took the responsibility of our mother and she relied on him for everything – he was her favourite son,” said Ms Hayayei. “Playing sports was one of the main things that encouraged him to progress and improve, as he found passion in it, was a helping hand to all his colleagues and managed to obtain many medals and trophies.”
Colin Gibbs, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Abdullah Hayayei was a father-of-five who should have been able to compete on the world stage and return home safely to his family.
“There can be no doubt that UK Athletics were grossly negligent in their safety management, which caused the death of a talented athlete.
“They left equipment in a seriously unsafe condition, and Mr Hayayei’s death was wholly avoidable – a fact the organisation has admitted.
“For years there was a failure to inspect, maintain and properly manage basic safety components, leaving a heavy metal structure dangerously unstable.
“Our thoughts remain with Mr Hayayei’s family, and we hope these convictions bring them some measure of justice.”
