The key facts

  • Hayler, 39, denies three counts of rape and one of sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl in West Sussex in 2016
  • He said he photographed Price's messages to the girl, including the phrase 'I will make you a little star', and considered it 'coaching'
  • On Thursday he pleaded not guilty to four alternative counts of sexual activity with a child

Hayler's evidence at Lewes Crown Court

Kieran Hayler, 39, the former husband of TV personality Katie Price, gave evidence on Thursday at Lewes Crown Court, where he is accused of three counts of rape and one count of sexual assault involving a 13-year-old girl in West Sussex in 2016. He rejected all the charges, telling the jury: 'I believe they are fabricated.'

Price's messages and a photo from the phone

Hayler said he discovered on Price's phone a correspondence with the alleged victim, which discussed claims that he had 'taken a fancy' to the girl and contained the phrase 'I will make you a little star'. He photographed these messages with his own phone. He said he accessed the phone the same way Price accessed his — by fingerprint. Asked by the defence why he took the pictures, Hayler replied: 'Because she was pretending I had taken a fancy to [the victim]... I thought: this is odd.' He explained that it showed 'the relationship was falling apart'.

'I thought she was grooming her'

Hayler told the court: 'I thought she was grooming her [for testimony] about something she shouldn't have.' He added that the phrase 'I will make you a little star' could be interpreted by anyone in their own way, but it was 'very pushy' and 'very strange'. He said he did not send the pictures anywhere, and recently found them while retrieving phones from storage during a move, and handed them to his solicitor. The court previously heard that Price wrote to the girl that she had heard Hayler and the girl had kissed and that he had 'come on' to her. Giving evidence, Price called the phrase 'a figure of speech'.

Alternative charges and context of the case

On Thursday, after the prosecution case concluded, Hayler pleaded not guilty to four alternative counts of sexual activity with a child, added to the indictment for consideration by the jury alongside the main counts. Judge Mark van der Zwart explained to the jury that the prosecution asserts rape took place, while the defence's position is that nothing sexual occurred between them.

Background

Hayler said that by mid-2013 'trust had gone from both sides' of his marriage to Price, and admitted affairs with three other women; he said Price had also been unfaithful. He told the jury: 'I am attracted to women older than me,' and that all his significant relationships had been with older women. The court previously heard that Hayler claimed Price, after the breakdown of the marriage, 'waged a campaign' against him and that the allegations are part of it. The couple married before the alleged events, separated in 2018 and divorced in 2021. The victim first contacted the NSPCC in 2021, and the charity passed her report to the police. The trial continues.

A man with short black hair wearing a suit jacket and white shirt. He is looking away from the camera.Image source, Press Association'
Image caption,

Kieran Hayler denies all the charges against him

A woman with long black hair, sunglasses and a pink jumper gets out of a carImage source, Press Association
Image caption,

Kieran Hayler told the court Katie Price was also unfaithful during their relationship

Katie Price wearing a brown leather coat, cream jumper and dark sunglasses standing near a road.A man with short black hair wearing a large dark blue coat. He is looking into and walking towards the cameraA man with short black hair wearing a large dark blue coat. He is looking into and walking towards the camera.A woman with straight black hair. She is wearing big black glasses.