Katie Price has arrived at Lewes Crown Court to give evidence in her ex-husband Kieran Hayler's child rape trial.
Hayler, 39, is accused of committing three rapes and a separate sex assault against a 13-year-old girl between June and October 2016, while he was married to the former glamour model. He denies all charges.
Price Expected to Testify From Behind Screen
Ms Price is expected to give evidence from behind a screen in court from Monday afternoon.
Last week the Mirror told how Price's ex-husband told a 13-year-old girl he allegedly raped “she could be his best friend”, the child's mother said.
Mother's Account to Court
The mother of the teenager described to the court last week what her daughter told her about Hayler, who is now 39. She said: “She said he told her he didn't have any friends and that she could be his best friend.” She added: “She liked the way he spoke to her.”
In 2021, the girl spoke about the allegations to the NSPCC, who then referred her to the police.
On Thursday last week, her mother had told the court that a year after the alleged rapes, her daughter disclosed to her that Hayler had “done everything to her”. She told jurors she tried to ask her daughter to explain but the girl said: “I can't tell you any more.”
Defence Challenge and Denials
Cross-examining the girl's mother, defence counsel Arlette Piercy put to her: “I suggest nothing had happened and you knew nothing happened.” The mother replied: “That's not correct.” She also told the court: “I did believe my daughter.”
Hayler, who was married to model Ms Price at the time of the allegations, denies the charges, claiming they are part of a campaign launched against him by his ex-wife, the court also heard. The couple split up in 2018 and divorced in 2021. The alleged victim is not part of Hayler or Ms Price's extended families.
The trial at Lewes Crown Court continues.
