UK Athletics pleads guilty over death of Paralympian in London

United Kingom (UK) Athletics on Friday pleaded guilty to the corporate manslaughter of a Paralympian who was hit on the head by a metal pole during training for an event in London.

Abdullah Hayayei, 36, who represented the United Arab Emirates, was fatally injured at a leisure centre in the British capital in July 2017.

He was preparing to represent his country in discus, javelin and shot put at the World Para Athletics Championships when part of a throwing cage fell on him.

On Friday, UK Athletics Ltd admitted corporate manslaughter, having previously denied the charge.

The charge said the national governing body for athletics caused the death of Hayayei by “supplying for use at an organised para-athletics training event in which he participated a discus/shotput cage which it used and operated without its base structure and which collapsed” into the Paralympian while he was practising shot putting.

UK Athletics had previously denied a lesser alternative health and safety offence.

Keith Davies, 78, who was head of sport for the championships, had denied gross negligence manslaughter. On Friday, he pleaded guilty to a health and safety charge.

The fresh pleas were entered at an Old Bailey hearing.

Prosecutor Karen Robinson invited the court to set a two-day sentencing hearing in June. She confirmed the prosecution would not seek a trial and the outstanding charges would be dealt with at the conclusion of the sentencing.

Published on Feb 21, 2026