The key facts
- Kieran Hayler acquitted on all charges at Lewes Crown Court
- The charges related to events in 2016 in West Sussex
- The jury deliberated for 14 hours and 55 minutes
Not guilty verdict
Kieran Hayler, 39, the ex-husband of media personality Katie Price, has been found not guilty of three counts of rape and one count of sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl. The charges related to 2016 in West Sussex, when Hayler was still married to Price. The verdict was delivered by Lewes Crown Court. Hayler was also acquitted on four alternative counts of sexual activity with a child.
Defence position and testimony
Hayler denied the charges and told the jury he believed they were fabricated. According to him, after the breakdown of the marriage Price 'launched a campaign' against him, and the allegations were part of it. He told the court that trust in the marriage had disappeared on both sides by mid-2013, and admitted affairs with three other women. Price, giving evidence, denied being 'vindictive and spiteful' towards her ex-husband. The couple separated in 2018 and divorced in 2021.
Course of the trial
The jury — four men and six women — deliberated for 14 hours and 55 minutes. Upon the reading of the not guilty verdict, Hayler was reportedly emotionally overwhelmed, leaning forward when he was told he could leave the dock.
Image source, Press Association Kieran Hayler has been acquitted of raping a 13-year-old girl
Image source, PA Media Katie Price arriving at Lewes Crown Court during the trial
