Paralympic shot putter died in 'accident waiting to happen'

A Paralympic athlete died "in an accident waiting to happen" when a metal bar fell on him, a sentencing hearing at the Old Bailey has been told. Abdullah Hayayei, a wheelchair using shot putter from the United Arab Emirates, was killed when a training cage collapsed in a gust of wind at a training facility in Newham, London, as he practised for the World Para Athletics Championships in July 2017. UK Athletics, the event's organiser, is being sentenced for corporate manslaughter. Keith Davies, 78, UK Athletics' former head of sport, is being sentenced for a breach of health and safety law. Both Mr Davies and UK Athletics pleaded guilty at a hearing earlier this year. Prosecuting, John Price KC told judge Richard Marks KC that the equipment that killed Mr Hayayei, 36, was missing key components. The entire structure collapsed in the wind, and a heavy metal bar weighing 25kg hit the athlete on the head. Mr Hayayei, who had cerebral palsy, died at the scene. The court heard a victim impact statement from Badriah Rashid Zayed Al-Yahyaei, the victim's widow, who described how her husband's death had left her alone with five young children. "It was a huge shock to me because I was waiting for the news of his victory and success," she said. "Suddenly the news reached me. I could not comprehend it at first and refused to believe it, and today that moment is still in my mind. "What happened was a result of gross negligence that could have been avoided had safety rules been adhered to. …