UK Athletics and ex-head of sport Keith Davies deny manslaughter charges over Paralympian Abdullah Hayayei’s tragic 2017 training death in London.
Former head of sport Keith Davies and UK Athletics (UKA) have pleaded not guilty to charges of manslaughter following the tragic death of Paralympian Abdullah Hayayei.
Hayayei, 36, lost his life on 11 July 2017 after a metal cage collapsed on him while he was training at Newham Leisure Centre in east London. The incident occurred just days before he was set to compete in the 2017 World Para Athletics Championships.
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At a pre-trial hearing at the Old Bailey, UKA also denied an additional charge of failing to ensure the safety of non-employees, while Davies, 77, from east London, pleaded not guilty to charges of failing to take reasonable care for health and safety.
“UKA was accused of having “routinely” supplied or provided shot put and discus cages at events between 2012 and 2017 which were “without their said base structures,” reported BBC.
Simon Antrobus KC, representing UKA, firmly rejected the allegations on behalf of the organisation. “UK Athletics has always taken athlete safety extremely seriously and denies any wrongdoing in this case,” he said during the hearing.
The charges relate to allegations that the shot put cage Hayayei was using had been erected without its “base structure,” raising concerns about the standard of equipment provided by UKA between 2012 and 2017.
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Prosecutors claim that UKA “routinely” supplied discus and shot put cages without their base structures at events during this period.
The corporate manslaughter charge alleges that UKA’s senior management failed in its duty to ensure proper safety protocols were followed.
The court heard that this failure “fell far below what could reasonably be expected” of an organisation responsible for international athletics competitions.
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Hayayei, who had represented the United Arab Emirates at the Rio 2016 Paralympics, was training for his upcoming events in the F34 shot put, discus, and javelin categories when the fatal accident occurred.
Davies, in his capacity as the head of sport for the 2017 World Para Athletics Championships, is accused of a “gross breach of duty of care.” Prosecutors allege that he knew—or ought to have known—that the cage in question had been erected without its necessary base structure.
Additionally, Davies faces a health and safety at work charge, which relates to his oversight of discus and shot put cages over a five-year period. The prosecution argues that this failure endangered the safety of athletes and staff at multiple competitions.
Despite the serious allegations, UKA maintains that it adhered to safety protocols and denies any responsibility for the tragic accident. Legal representatives for the organisation have stated that UKA will robustly defend itself against the claims.
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The case, which has drawn significant attention in the athletics community, has left many questioning the standards of equipment used in para-athletic events.
Hayayei’s death in 2017 sent shockwaves through the sport, with fellow athletes and governing bodies calling for greater oversight in competition safety.
Davies, who appeared in court in person, was granted unconditional bail ahead of the next hearing on 12 December 2025. The trial is set to commence on 12 October 2026 at the Old Bailey and is expected to last eight weeks, with Judge Mark Lucraft KC, the Recorder of London, presiding.
