Latest news with #WorldParalympicAthleticsChampionships
New York Times
18-03-2025
- New York Times
UK Athletics, former World Championships chief plead not guilty over Paralympian's death
UK Athletics and the former head of sport for the World Paralympic Athletics Championships have pleaded not guilty to all charges relating to the death of Paralympian Abdullah Hayayei. Hayayei, who competed at the 2016 Rio Paralympics, was killed when a throwing cage fell on him during a training session at Newham Leisure Centre in London on July 11 2017. The 36-year-old was practising his shot putting ahead of the World Paralympic Athletics Championships at the time. Advertisement Keith Davies, 77, who was head of sport for the event in 2017, has been charged with unlawfully killing Hayayei by gross negligence. The charge, read out in court on Tuesday at a plea hearing, said this related to 'supervising the provision/supply and erection of a discus/shot put cage for use at an organised para-athletics event, a cage which he knew, or ought to have known, was provided/supplied and erected without its said base structure.' He was also charged with a Health and Safety at Work Act offence, again relating to cages allegedly supplied without their base structures, that was dated between October 1 2012 and July 12 2017. Davies, who was present at the Old Bailey, pleaded not guilty to both charges. UK Athletics are accused of corporate manslaughter. The charge, read out in court, said they 'owed a duty of care' to Hayayei and caused his death by a 'breach of that duty, a substantial element of the said breach being the way in which the organisation's activities were managed or organised by its senior management', namely by providing/supplying a cage that was allegedly without its base structure. UK Athletics pleaded not guilty to that charge and also pleaded not guilty to a Health and Safety at Work Act offence, dated between October 1 2012 and July 12 2017. Davies, from Leytonstone in East London, has been granted unconditional bail and that will continue going forward. A further case management hearing is scheduled for the week of December 12. A trial, which is estimated to take eight weeks, has been fixed for October 12 2026. ()
The Independent
18-03-2025
- The Independent
UK Athletics and man, 77, plead not guilty over death of Paralympian
UK Athletics and a 77-year-old man have pleaded not guilty to manslaughter over the death of a Paralympian who was hit on the head by a metal pole during training in 2017. Abdullah Hayayei, 36, who represented the United Arab Emirates, was injured at Newham Leisure Centre in east London on July 11 2017 and was pronounced dead at the scene. He was training in preparation to represent his country in the F34 class discus, javelin and shot put at the World Para Athletics Championships in London when part of a throwing cage fell on him. Keith Davies, head of sport for the 2017 World Paralympic Athletics Championships, of Leytonstone, east London, pleaded not guilty to a charge of gross negligence manslaughter and a health and safety offence when he appeared at the Old Bailey on Tuesday. UK Athletics Limited, the national governing body for athletics, also pleaded not guilty to a charge of corporate manslaughter and a health and safety offence. UK Athletics Limited was represented by Simon Antrobus KC, who entered the pleas on behalf of the organisation. An eight-week trial was set for October 12 2026 at the Old Bailey. A case management hearing is to take place at the same court on December 12 2025. Davies was released on unconditional bail.
The Independent
31-01-2025
- The Independent
UK Athletics and man, 77, face court over death of Paralympian during training
UK Athletics and a 77-year-old man have appeared in court charged with manslaughter over the death of a Paralympian who was hit on the head by a metal pole during training in 2017. Abdullah Hayayei, 36, who represented the United Arab Emirates, was injured at Newham Leisure Centre in east London on July 11 2017 and was pronounced dead at the scene. He was training in preparation to represent his country in the F34 class discus, javelin and shot put at the World Para Athletics Championships in London when part of a throwing cage fell on him. On Friday, Keith Davies, head of sport for the 2017 World Paralympic Athletics Championships, from Bushwood, Leytonstone, appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court charged with gross negligence manslaughter and a health and safety offence. UK Athletics Limited, the national governing body for athletics, also appeared in the same court charged with corporate manslaughter and a health and safety offence. UK Athletics and Davies were told by Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring the case was being sent to the Old Bailey on February 28.
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Yahoo
UK Athletics and man, 77, face court over death of Paralympian during training
UK Athletics and a 77-year-old man have appeared in court charged with manslaughter over the death of a Paralympian who was hit on the head by a metal pole during training in 2017. Abdullah Hayayei, 36, who represented the United Arab Emirates, was injured at Newham Leisure Centre in east London on July 11 2017 and was pronounced dead at the scene. He was training in preparation to represent his country in the F34 class discus, javelin and shot put at the World Para Athletics Championships in London when part of a throwing cage fell on him. On Friday, Keith Davies, head of sport for the 2017 World Paralympic Athletics Championships, from Bushwood, Leytonstone, appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court charged with gross negligence manslaughter and a health and safety offence. UK Athletics Limited, the national governing body for athletics, also appeared in the same court charged with corporate manslaughter and a health and safety offence. UK Athletics and Davies were told by Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring the case was being sent to the Old Bailey on February 28.
