UK Athletics faces £20m blow after manslaughter charge
UK Athletics is staring down the barrel of a huge £20m fine after the cash-strapped track and field governing body was charged with corporate manslaughter.
The Crown Prosecution Service charged UK Athletics over the death of Abdullah Hayayei, a Paralympian from the United Arab Emirates, after a metal throwing cage fell on him while training in London in 2017.
The thrower, a father of five, was set to compete in the shot put, discus and javelin at the World Para Athletics Championships in London that year.
The former head of sport at UK Athletics, Keith Davies, 77, has been charged with gross negligence manslaughter and a Health and Safety at Work Act offence.
Malcolm McHaffie, head of the CPS special crime division, said: “Following a review of the evidence provided by the Metropolitan Police Service, the Crown Prosecution Service has authorised criminal charges against UK Athletics Limited and a 77-year-old man.”
Davies could face a maximum life sentence while lawyers told City PM that UK Athletics could face a fine based on turnover, a sum that could threaten the hard-up organisation.
In its most recent accounts, the governing body reported a loss of £1.6m and a reserves deficit of £4.4m.
‘Fine dependent upon their turnover’
UK Athletics turned down involvement in Michael Johnson’s new Grand Slam Track competition due to financial concerns, while the governing body last April announced a “groundbreaking” joint venture with London Marathon organisers, having reported a record annual loss of £3.7m in 2023, to ease their financial crisis.
Andrew Gilmore, partner at Grosvenor Law, told City PM: “At this stage of the case, it is difficult to provide a precise view of the likely sentence, but charges of gross negligence manslaughter carry a possible maximum life sentence with a tariff of up to 18 years.
“In similar other cases, sentences have carried custodial terms in the range of 4 to 8 years.
“For UK Athletics, as a corporate entity, if they are convicted of offences, they would be facing a fine dependent upon their turnover, which could be as much as £20m.”
UK Athletics will be key to delivering the 2026 European Championships in Birmingham while UK Sport has ambitions to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships.
The governing body and Davies will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 31 January.