UK Athletics charged with corporate manslaughter after death of Paralympian

Police have charged UK Athletics and a former senior member of its staff in connection with the death of a Paralympian athlete. Abdullah Hayayei, 36, died during a training incident in 2017.

UK Athletics Limited, the national governing body for athletics, was charged on Tuesday, January 7, with corporate manslaughter and offences under Section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

Keith Davies, 77, of Bushwood, Leytonstone the former Head of Sport for the 2017 World Paralympic Athletics Championships was charged on Monday, January 6th with gross negligence manslaughter and offences under Section 7 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

Both UK Athletics and Davies are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday, January 31.

In a statement, a Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: "An investigation was launched after emergency services responded to reports of a seriously injured man struck on the head by a metal pole during a training incident at Newham Leisure Centre in Prince Regent Lane, E13 on Tuesday, 11 July 2017. The man, Abdullah Hayayei, 36, a United Arab Emirates athlete, was sadly pronounced dead at the scene."