Track and field faces a somber day of reckoning as UK Athletics is fined over the tragic, preventable 2017 death of the UAE Paralympian, Yankee Scores reports…
An Old Bailey judge has imposed a fine on UK Athletics of £350,000 and £44,000 costs after it emerged that a paralympic athlete died from falling equipment at the training facility in East London.
A Tragic and Avoidable Loss
Shot-putter Abdullah Hayayei died when the metal cage collapsed when he was preparing for World Athletics Championships in 2017.
Previously, Mr Hayayei had represented the United Arab Emirates in the Rio Paralympics as part of the javelin and shot put disciplines.
During sentencing, Judge Richard Marks KC described the death as “tragic, untimely and wholly avoidable”.
He sentenced the former head of sport at UK Athletics, 79-year-old Keith Davies, to a community service order of 175 hours after it emerged that he was responsible for the equipment which lacked the crucial base plates.
The Systemic Failures of the Past Leadership
The court was informed that a powerful gust of wind had caused the collapse of the cage, and Mr Hayayei died as a result of sustaining severe head trauma after being struck by the metal bar.
Mr Hayayei was a 36-year-old wheelchair athlete and suffered from cerebral palsy.
The court heard evidence from his widow, Badriah, who testified that his death left her raising five young children alone.
Earlier, UK Athletics pleaded guilty to charges of corporate manslaughter while Mr Davies admitted guilt for breaching health and safety laws at a previous hearing in February.
Almost ten years have passed since the investigation started following Mr Hayayei’s death.
As reported, the police had to spend years on the investigation of the case, as during it they managed to discover photos from about a dozen athletics competitions, which revealed the equipment used by UK Athletics officials without using any restraints.
The Sentencing
At the sentencing, Judge Richard Marks stated that it was inevitable that sooner or later the tragedy would happen.
Meanwhile, during his address, Prosecutor John Price KC described the efforts undertaken by UKA in the subsequent years to shift blame from themselves and pointed out at Mr Davies and the Newham venue in particular.
He said that the statement issued by UKA “is a deeply unworthy document by a national sporting body and one of which it should be ashamed”.
After fining UKA, Judge Marks said that this “was most unattractive” but it was a stance which was adopted by the previous management team.
The current leadership had disavowed such stance, however, stating its sincere regrets about what happened.
According to the judge, UK Athletics is a “club of passionate members” with the mission to cultivate elite athletes and sport as such.
The organisation’s turnover amounted to £13.8m with losses amounting to £400,000. The judge allowed the six-year period to pay off the fine.
