Abdullah Hayaye has died following a training accident at Newham Leisure Center on the eve of the 2017 World Para Champs in London.
UK Athletics pleaded guilty to corporate manslaughter following the death of parachutist Abdullah Hayaye in 2017 while training ahead of the World Para Athletics Championships in London.
UKA initially denied the charge but changed their plea to guilty at a hearing at the Old Bailey on Friday (February 20).
Keith Davies, 78, who was the director of sport at the 2017 Paralympic World Championships in Athletics, pleaded guilty to health and safety charges, meaning an earlier charge of gross negligence manslaughter will be dropped.
Sentencing is expected to take place in June, with UKA facing a significant fine, estimated at between £1.2m and £5m, although UKA will be hoping for a reduction in the severity of the sentence.
It comes at a time when UKA is trying to rebuild its finances after a tough pandemic period and then almost going bankrupt a few years ago. Those with longer memories will recall that the governing body also effectively went bankrupt following the Diane Modall doping scandal in the 1990s, with British Athletics forced to change its name to UK Athletics in the process.
Davies is unlikely to be jailed now, but AW: Understandably, his colleagues in the incumbent community, many of whom are volunteers, were shocked by the news.
Hayayei, 36, died on July 11, 2017, when a metal cage fell on him while he was training at Newham Leisure Centre. In East London, ahead of the World Cup.
Hayayey, who represented the United Arab Emirates at the Rio 2016 Games, was scheduled to compete in the F34 shot put, discus and javelin events at the 2017 World Para Athletics Championships.
In November 2017, Davies was questioned under caution in connection with the investigation. Both he and UKA were 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 led to the tragic loss of Abdullah Hayae’s life.
“Our deepest thoughts and sympathies go out to his family, friends, teammates and all those affected by the events of that day. As you will appreciate, due to ongoing legal proceedings, UK Athletics is unable to comment further at this time.”
Detective Sergeant Brett Hagen, who led the Met Police investigation, said: “Our thoughts are with the family of Mr Hayaye at what will be an important moment for them. We thank them for their continued patience, understanding and dignity during this long and difficult investigation.
“The resulting charges and early guilty pleas reflect our tenacity and commitment, as well as 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 the various complexities surrounding the legislation, so we welcome this outcome.”
Since the fatal accident nine years ago, UKA has significantly changed its health and safety processes and undergone several management changes.
Under its current chief executive Jack Buckner, the organization, along with the recently formed Athletic Ventures, is set to host the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham this summer and is bidding to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships in London, which has received government backing.
