UK Athletics received a £350,000 penalty for the entirely preventable death of a Paralympian athlete during a practice session held in east London.

Abdullah Hayayei, aged 36 and father to five children, was getting ready to compete for the United Arab Emirates at the World Para Athletics Championships when a 440lb training cage fell onto him at Newham Leisure Centre during July 2017.

The structure measuring five feet in height toppled over after being assembled without its required base plate, according to court evidence. Prosecutors labeled the situation an accident that had been inevitable.

UK Athletics entered a guilty plea to corporate manslaughter and received its sentence at the Old Bailey on Tuesday. The body must pay the £350,000 fine plus £44,000 in costs spread across six years.

Keith Davies, 79 and former head of sport for the 2017 championships, admitted breaching health and safety rules and received a community order to complete 175 hours of unpaid labor.

Judge Richard Marks KC described the incident as tragic, premature and completely avoidable during sentencing. He noted repeated unsafe handling of the equipment over time rather than an isolated error, yet cautioned that a larger fine could impair support for both elite and grassroots athletics.

Evidence showed that over five years after acquiring two cages originally used at the London 2012 Games, UK Athletics never fitted the base plates correctly. One cage had already collapsed in 2012 without causing injury.

Prosecutor John Price KC highlighted that numerous athletes had used the cages across several years, describing the setup as a constant risk and an accident that was bound to occur.

Hayayei was training under supervision on the day in question when the cage gave way. He became caught in the netting and, despite immediate help from coaches and medical staff, was declared deceased that same afternoon.

His widow Badriah provided testimony from the UAE and stated that her husband had gone abroad to represent his nation only to return deceased due to negligence.

She expressed hope that the court would recognize the full impact on their family, noting that Abdullah had been more than someone who died and instead a father and husband with duties, aspirations and a future ahead.

Metropolitan Police detectives reported that the probe uncovered prolonged shortcomings in storage and assembly of the equipment. Det Ch Insp Lucie Card called Hayayei a gifted competitor whose life ended prematurely because of lapses by those responsible for his safety.

She added that the inquiry required years of careful effort and that determining the causes represented the minimum owed to his relatives.

After the ruling UK Athletics offered an apology and confirmed it had introduced major improvements to safety and oversight processes.

The organization stated that the sentence represents an important point in its history while extending sympathies to all affected by Hayayei's death in 2017. It acknowledged the errors should never have taken place and expressed sincere regret.

Further comments noted strengthened operational standards and ongoing commitment to improvement from the event.

Hayayei, who lived with cerebral palsy, had been scheduled to take part in the F34 shot put at the Stratford championships. He ranked among top performers in his category and left behind five children aged two to 14.