Kieran Hayler Acquitted of Rape and Sexual Assault Charges
Jury delivers majority not guilty verdicts after nearly 15 hours of deliberation in West Sussex case.
Sarah Connor
Kieran Hayler was found not guilty of raping and sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl.
Hayler admitted to affairs with three other women during his marriage to Katie Price. The court heard extensive details of these relationships.
Jurors viewed a video recording of a police interview the woman gave in December 2021. Hayler was first interviewed by police in January 2022, denying all allegations.
Hayler accused his then-wife, Katie Price, of 'coaching' the alleged victim. He claimed to have discovered messages where Price suggested he fancied the girl and promised to make her 'a little star'.
He also told the court he fabricated claims of being a sex addict for publicity after cheating on Price. Hayler stated that Price and her management 'created a narrative' to generate headlines and income from the publicity. He added that the claim Price was not a liar was also a made-up publicity stunt.
The alleged victim's mother denied Price influenced her to come to court. She also stated her daughter had no interest in becoming a celebrity.
Separately, Katie Price and Lee Andrews were seen wearing their wedding rings and refollowing each other on social media. This occurred weeks after Price reportedly confirmed their split, texting Andrews to end their relationship after discovering he had only £2.22 in his bank account.
Andrews has been imprisoned in Dubai's Al-Awir jail twice this year on fraud charges. Price was reportedly bracing herself for a 'messy divorce' with Andrews, and her son Harvey was with her during an outing on Thursday.