Katie Price’s ex-husband Kieran Hayler has been found not guilty of raping and sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl in West Sussex in 2016. According to the BBC and the Daily Mail, the 39-year-old was acquitted at Lewes Crown Court following a trial that also saw the judge describe the former glamour model as a “dangerous witness” with a personal agenda in the proceedings.Hayler had denied the allegations, maintaining that they were fabricated and linked to his fallout with Price following the breakdown of their marriage. The jury returned its verdicts on Thursday after deliberating for 14 hours and 55 minutes.
Kieran Hayler thanks jury after being acquitted
Following the verdict, Hayler became emotional and bent over as he was told he could leave the dock. Speaking outside the court, he thanked the jury for its consideration of the case and expressed gratitude to his family and friends for standing by him.As reported by the BBC, Hayler said he was grateful to the jury for its “careful consideration of this difficult case”. He also thanked his loved ones for supporting him through “five years of absolute hell”.“I would like to be left in peace now to rebuild my life and spend time with my family,” he added.Hayler was cleared of three counts of rape, one count of sexual assault and four alternative counts of sexual activity with a child.
Judge describes Katie Price as a ‘dangerous witness’
The trial drew considerable attention after Judge Mark van der Zwart criticised Price’s conduct while she was giving evidence. The Daily Mail reported that the judge described her as what barristers of a previous generation would have called a “dangerous witness”, citing her personal agenda in the proceedings and the risk that she could make prejudicial remarks.Hayler’s defence team had applied for the jury to be discharged following Price’s first day in the witness box. His barrister, Arlette Piercy, argued that parts of the former model’s testimony had caused an “overwhelming tsunami of prejudice” and amounted to a “premeditated attempt to bring down this trial”.The judge rejected the application but warned the jury to disregard certain remarks made by Price. He also expressed concern that she might make further unprompted allegations if she were called to testify again.During her subsequent evidence, Price was instructed to answer the questions put to her without volunteering additional information. The judge later observed that every extra minute she spent in the witness box created another opportunity for her to make irrelevant and prejudicial statements.According to the Daily Mail, the judge also said that discharging the jury was unlikely to prevent similar issues from arising if the case were retried.
Kieran Hayler accused Katie Price of a smear campaign
During the trial, Hayler alleged that Price had launched a campaign against him after their marriage broke down. He maintained that the allegations were fabricated and formed part of an effort to damage his reputation.Price denied being “angry and vengeful” towards her former husband.Hayler told the court that trust in their marriage had broken down by the middle of 2013. He admitted having affairs with three women during their relationship and alleged that Price had also been unfaithful.He further claimed that the allegations emerged around the time Price was dealing with other personal difficulties. His claims formed part of the defence presented during the proceedings.
Messages between Katie Price and the alleged victim discussed in court
The jury heard evidence about messages exchanged between Price and the girl at the centre of the case. Hayler told the court that he discovered the messages in 2017 while looking through Price’s phone for evidence that she was having an affair.According to the Daily Mail’s account of the trial, Price had messaged the girl suggesting that Hayler fancied her and had allegedly tried to make advances towards her. In another message discussed in court, Price reportedly told the girl, “I will make you a little star.”Hayler said he found the exchange suspicious and photographed the messages on his own phone. He claimed that Price’s communications supported his belief that the allegations were fabricated.During cross-examination, prosecutor Ryan Richter challenged Hayler’s claim that the case was connected to his dispute with Price, telling him that their feud was not what the trial was about. Hayler responded that it was.When the prosecutor put to him that the case concerned the rape of a girl, Hayler denied the allegation.Hayler met Price in 2012, and the couple married at a luxury resort in the Caribbean in January 2013 after he proposed on Christmas Day. Their relationship was marked by public controversies, and they separated in 2018 before divorcing in 2021.
