Kieran Hayler denies rape charges during trial at Lewes Crown Court

Kieran Hayler has told a trial at Lewes Crown Court that he found cocaine and empty bottles at the Sussex home of his former wife Katie Price after their split. Hayler, who is 39, is on trial accused of three counts of rape and one count of sexual assault involving a 13-year-old schoolgirl in West Sussex in 2016. The Daily Mail and BBC News both reported that Hayler denies all four charges. [1][2]

Giving evidence in court, Hayler described finding chaos and drugs inside the family home where he continued living for two months after the break-up in 2018, according to the Daily Mail. BBC News reported that Hayler told jurors he believed Price was coaching the alleged victim. He stated that he took photographs of phone messages in which Price wrote to the girl that she would make her a little star. [1][2]

As FTMQ News reported earlier, Hayler pleaded not guilty to the charges, which involve alleged incidents from 2016. Price previously testified at Lewes Crown Court behind a screen, telling the court that she was shocked when she confronted Hayler about the claims. [9][10]

Hayler was married to Price, an English media personality and model, from 2013 to 2021. The Sussex property featured in the Channel 4 television series Katie Price's Mucky Mansion, which followed her efforts to renovate her 19-room house in Horsham, West Sussex. [6][7][8][10]