Jury likely to treat ‘whirlwind’ Katie Price’s evidence cautiously, court told

Katie Price’s ex-husband Kieran Hayler arriving at Lewes Crown Court (Gareth Fuller/PA)PA WireAnahita Hossein-Pour5 minutes agoThe Weekender

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Jurors sitting in the rape trial of Katie Price’s ex-husband have been told to cut through the “big egos” and “big personalities” involved in the case before considering their verdicts.

Kieran Hayler is on trial at Lewes Crown Court charged with three counts of rape and one count of sexual assault of a teenager in West Sussex in 2016.

In a closing speech on Monday, prosecutor Ryan Richter told jurors: “You’ve seen the whirlwind of what is Katie Price and you’re going to make an assessment of her how it affects this case, how much it helps you decide.

“The prosecution accept you’re likely to treat her evidence with caution.

“You may well put 90% of her evidence to one side, it’s irrelevant, it doesn’t help you.

“I’m sure you will concentrate on what is relevant and look for support to assess what she says.”

Katie Price arriving at Lewes Crown Court previously (Gareth Fuller/PA)PA WireThe prosecutor added: “You’ve seen the big personalities, the big egos in this case and you’ll judge it, you’ll cut through it.

“You’ll decide whether those big voices drown out the voice of (the complainant) or whether that voice has made you sure on the counts of this indictment.”

He said jurors had seen enough of “the egos, posing and posturing” and ultimately they are going to start their deliberations making decisions about the complainant.

“What does (the complainant) get out of coming to this court to tell you a pack of lies?” he said.

Of the messages exchanged between the alleged victim and Ms Price in 2017 where the media personality tells the girl “I will make you a little star”, he asked: “Is that the key to this case, that message?”

He said: “Is it the suggestion seriously for nine years Katie Price has been biding her time to make (the complainant) a star?”

Defence barrister Arlette Piercy said in her closing speech Hayler has been consistent and clear throughout his defence in what has been a “rollercoaster ride for everybody in this court”.

She called for the jury to take care, be calm and rational, warning “emotion is enemy of reason”.

Ms Piercy said no doubt Hayler and Ms Price were engaged over a number of years in a “toxic, co-dependent relationship”, with ups and downs, infidelity on both sides, drugs and alcohol abuse all played out on reality TV and in the press.

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She pointed to inconsistencies in the complainant’s evidence that on more than 30 occasions she said she does not know or cannot remember.

“We submit lack of coherent account is an important factor which supports what we are saying and undermines the credibility of the witness as a whole,” Ms Piercy said.

Hayler denies all the charges against him and has said the allegations are a “smear campaign to ruin me” by Ms Price.