January 08, (THEWILL) – UK Athletics Ltd and its former head of sport face manslaughter charges following an investigation into the 2017 death of Paralympic athlete, Abdullah Hayayei, the Crown Prosecution Service announced on Wednesday.
The United Arab Emirates athlete, who was 36 years old, suffered fatal injuries at Newham Leisure Centre in London when a metal throwing cage collapsed during shot put training. The incident occurred while Mr Hayayei was preparing for his participation in the World Para Athletics Championships scheduled that week.
Keith Davies, who served as head of sport at UK Athletics Limited, received charges of gross negligence manslaughter and breached health and safety regulations. Additionally, UK Athletics faces corporate manslaughter charges alongside Health and Safety at Work Act violations.
The Metropolitan Police conducted a thorough investigation following the July 11, 2017 incident. Both UK Athletics and Davies will appear before Westminster Magistrates’ Court on January 31, to address these serious charges.
Mr Hayayei represented his nation at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. His death occurred in the presence of multiple international teams and coaches who gathered at the training facility.
Ed Warner, former co-chair of London 2017, stated at the time: “This is a devastating event and everyone within the London 2017 Organising Committee is shocked and saddened. We will be working closely with all the competitors and teams over the days ahead to offer support wherever it is needed.”
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
