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UK Athletics Pleads Guilty to Corporate Manslaughter in 2017 Death of Paralympian

The court is being asked to schedule sentencing for early June following findings that the training cage lacked crucial stabilising parts.

Overview

  • Abdullah Hayayei, 36, died on 11 July 2017 after parts of a metal throwing cage collapsed during training at Newham Leisure Centre in east London.
  • Prosecutors said the cage’s stabilising metal lattice base plates were missing or unused for about five years, leaving up to 200kg of metal dangerously unstable in high winds.
  • Keith Davies, 78, the organisation’s former head of sport, pleaded guilty to a Health and Safety at Work Act offence, and a gross negligence manslaughter charge will not proceed.
  • Prosecutor Karen Robinson asked the Old Bailey to set a two-day sentencing hearing in early June, and Davies remains on bail pending a pre-sentence report.
  • A meticulous investigation by the Metropolitan Police and Newham Council gathered over 1,500 documents and around 160 witness statements, with the CPS describing UK Athletics’ safety management as grossly negligent.