The widow of a Paralympian tragically killed when a shot-put cage collapsed during training has called for a "just" punishment for those responsible, as a sentencing hearing begins for corporate manslaughter.
Abdullah Hayayei, a father-of-five representing the United Arab Emirates, suffered a severe head injury when the 440lb metal structure toppled onto him at Newham leisure centre in east London on 11 July 2017. The 36-year-old, who had cerebral palsy and used a wheelchair, was preparing for the World Athletics Championships.
The court heard that the 5ft high cage collapsed because it had been incorrectly assembled without its base plate, a situation described as an "accident waiting to happen". UK Athletics Ltd has since pleaded guilty to corporate manslaughter, while Keith Davies, 79, who served as head of sport for the 2017 World Paralympic Athletics Championships, admitted a health and safety charge.
Hayayei’s widow, Badriah, attended the first day of the two-day sentencing hearing at the Old Bailey via video-link from the UAE. In a poignant victim statement read to the court, she detailed the profound impact on her and her five children, who were aged between two and 14 when they lost their father.
"It was a huge shock to me because I was waiting for news of his victory and success in the championships and suddenly the news of his death reached me," she said. "At first I could not comprehend what happened and refused to believe the news."
She spoke of suffering "greatly" both psychologically and financially, adding: "I was pained even more when I found out what had happened could have been avoided if safety procedures had been properly applied."
Badriah urged the court to consider the magnitude of their loss. "I hope the court looks at the magnitude of the harm to our family because Abdullah was not just a person who passed away. He was a father, a husband with responsibilities, dreams and a future," she stated.
"I hope the court takes a just stance against everyone who caused this because what happened was not just a simple mistake but the result of negligence, gross negligence, that could have been avoided if safety procedures adhered to. My husband went out to represent his country and raise the name of the UAE but he returned as a corpse because of this negligence."
The court was told that in the five years since UK Athletics acquired two identical cages, originally used in the 2012 Olympics, they had never been properly assembled with their base plates attached. One of these cages had previously collapsed in 2012, though no one was injured on that occasion. Despite this, they had been used at five public events, including anniversary games in Stratford and at Swansea University Stadium.
Prosecutor John Price KC highlighted the long-standing danger, stating: "Over this period, very many athletes will have been within the cages and many more standing or passing close by. It was a perennial hazard, or to use a familiar phrase, an accident waiting to happen."
On the day of the incident, Hayayei was training under the supervision of the UAE team coach, Ayman Mohamed Ali Ibrahim. Ibrahim recounted: "Whilst Abdullah was carrying out the throws, we were surprised by the wind that came all of a sudden and moved the whole cage, causing the bar on the top to fall directly on his head." Hayayei collapsed immediately and died later that evening.
Keith Davies, who supervised the cage’s construction, had initially told police it was erected according to instructions – a statement Price described as not "truthful".
Judge Richard Marks KC is expected to deliver the sentence to UK Athletics and Davies, of Leytonstone, east London, on Tuesday. Sentencing Council guidelines indicate corporate manslaughter carries a fine ranging from £180,000 to £20 million. UK Athletics, the national governing body, reported an annual revenue of £13.8m in its latest accounts to March 2025, with income largely matched by expenditure.
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