Police are pouring over Katie Price’s phone to see if she breached a restraining order with her family and friends fearing her future ‘looks bleak’ – as she avoided appearing in court today over a £7,350 fine.
The reality TV star and ex-glamour model, 43, was arrested on Friday on suspicion of breaching her restraining order after she allegedly branded her ex-husband Kieran Hayler’s fiancée Michelle Penticost a ‘gutter sl*g’ in ‘abusive messages’.
She was released after a 12-hour interrogation, though not before officers confiscated her phone, which they are now examining for evidence.
Price, who was handed a five-year restraining order forbidding her from contacting Ms Penticost directly or indirectly in 2019 after hurling a ‘tirade of abuse’ at her, could now face up to five years in prison if she is charged and found guilty.
She also avoided having to appear in court this morning after £7,300 fines she owed for driving offences were paid. Price had been listed to appear at Crawley Magistrates’ Court on Monday over non-payment of £7,358 in fines dating back to January 2019.
However, on Monday morning court staff confirmed the fines had been paid and Price was no longer expected in court. She had been issued with a court summons after magistrates heard she had failed to pay back a single penny of her fines.
The Loose Women star was even facing a possible jail sentence for non-payment before paying the fines in full. Price has been banned from driving seven times in the last 10 years for speeding, drink driving and driving while disqualified.
At her last court hearing the mother-of-five was warned she faced an immediate prison sentence if she stepped out of line. District Judge Amanda Kelly said: ‘If you put a foot wrong in the weeks and months ahead then you will certainly go to prison.’
At the hearing her solicitor, Joe Harrington, Price’s finances were so ‘disorganised and chaotic’ that a £7.50 toll for using the Dart Crossing had escalated into a £1,400 debt due to her failure to deal with it.
A source close to her family told The Sun their fears about the reality star’s future and said that they wanted her to go back into rehab: ‘Katie’s been having a tough time recently and her behaviour in the past couple of weeks has become slightly erratic.
‘She has been lashing out on social media and even had a pop at Peter Andre’s wife Emily MacDonagh and claimed she’d stopped her daughter from visiting her in rehab.
‘Her family wanted her to go back into the Priory for a while to get past her demons as she’s done so well previously when she had been there. However this isn’t something Katie wanted to do.
‘They know how lucky she was that she didn’t go to prison. Her family is distraught. They want to do everything they can to help and protect Katie. But this time if the accusations are correct, she really hasn’t helped herself and the situation is looking bleak.’
Ex-glamour model Katie Price has been pictured today being driven around by fiancé Carl Woods after her arrest on Friday
The 43-year-old was arrested on suspicion of breaching her restraining order after she allegedly branded her ex-husband Kieran Hayler’s fiancée Michelle Penticost (pictured together) a ‘gutter sl*g’ in ‘abusive messages’, MailOnline revealed yesterday
The reality star posted a defiant message on Instagram yesterday, saying she ‘still has her sparkle and drive’ after she was released on bail from Worthing police station.
In her Instagram post, Price wrote: ‘I still have my sparkle and drive, looking forward to this week big announcement coming so excited.’
Sussex Police said a woman in her 40s was arrested at a property in Partridge Green, West Sussex at around 12.15am on Friday night. She has been released under investigation.
A spokesman added a report had been made at 5.45pm on Friday in relation to an alleged breach of a restraining order.
Later on Saturday, Katie Price was seen being driven out of Worthing Police station by her fiancé Carl Woods and has been pictured being driven around again today.
She was seen on the back seat of a Mercedes, with her hand on the headrest, as her fiancé drove the vehicle.
Price, who lives in ‘Mucky Mansion’, is banned from contacting Mr Hayler’s girlfriend Michelle Penticost either directly or indirectly under the terms of a five-year restraining order imposed in 2019 after she verbally abused her in a primary school playground.
Price admitted in 2019 to verbally abusing Ms Penticost and her friend Andrea Quigley after young children and a teacher witnessed her hurling a ‘tirade of abuse’ including shouting ‘f****** c***’ multiple times at both women.
In her Instagram post, Price wrote: ‘I still have my sparkle and drive, looking forward to this week big announcement coming so excited’
Price (pictured on Sunsday) was arrested on Friday after allegedly breaching a restraining order by texting her ex-husband’s fiancée
Price was released from a police station in Worthing on Saturday while inquiries into an alleged breach are ongoing. Pictured: Price was seen inside a car at a petrol station on Sunday
Carl Woods is seen driving Katie Price around Sussex this morning for the first time since she was arrested for allegedly breaking a restraining order
Messages were alleged to have called her vile names, as seen in mocked-up picture above
According to the Sentencing Council the maximum sentence for breaching the protective order is five years in prison.
Miss Penticost is understood to have contacted Sussex Police on Friday to complain that Price had sent Mr Hayler ‘abusive’ messages aimed at her.
Sources claimed the messages branded Miss Penticost a ‘gutter sl*g’ and a ‘c***ing we piece of s***’, according to The Sun.
They added: ‘The words were absolutely vile.’
Mr Hayler and his fiancée were understood to have been interviewed by police in their home before Price was taken into custody. She has been released under investigation.
Miss Penticost, 39, was said to have been left ‘devastated and threatened’ following the alleged messages.
Pictured: Katie Price’s hand is seen on the headrest of a Mercedes, driven by Carl Woods, as she left the station yesterday
Katie Price (pictured in December) was arrested after she allegedly branded Kieran Hayler’s fiancée a ‘gutter sl*g’
On Saturday, Katie Price was seen leaving Worthing Police station, as she was driven out of the premises by Carl Woods
Sussex Police said that a woman in her 40s was arrested. Pictured: Katie Price is driven out of Worthing Police station
Price, who lives in ‘Mucky Mansion’ in Partridge Green, is banned from contacting Mr Hayler’s girlfriend Michelle Penticost (pictured with Mr Hayler) under the terms of a five-year restraining order imposed after she was convicted of verbal abuse
A spokeswoman for Mr Hayler told The Sun: ‘We can confirm that an incident took place on Friday after which Michelle was left distressed by a tirade of abusive insults and threats.’
Ex-glamour model Price, 43, has accused her estranged husband, 34, of sexually assaulting a person.
Mr Hayler, a former stripper, has angrily denied the ‘false’ allegations’ and vowed to co-operate with police.
‘At 5.45pm on Friday (21 January) police responded to a report that a suspect had breached their restraining order,’ a force spokesman said.
Sussex Police (station pictured) said that a woman in her 40s was arrested at a property in West Sussex at around 12.15am
‘Officers arrested a woman in her 40s who has been released under investigation while inquiries continue.’
MailOnline has approached representatives for Price and Mr Hayler for comment.
Mr Hayler’s fiancee Miss Penticost, 39, shared a cryptic message on Instagram which read: ‘Normal people don’t go around destroying other human beings.’ She also shared the hashtag ‘restrainingorder’.
Price claims that she went to police before the divorce — but suggests that the alleged victim has now come forward herself.
Sussex Police says Mr Hayler has not been arrested and described the alleged victim as a ‘girl’, who was under the age of 16 in 2016.
The force confirmed that they had received allegations of a sexual assault which they are investigating
Price’s ex Kieran Hayler pictured for the first time since allegations that he assaulted a woman on three occasions in 2016
Pictured: Katie Price seen leaving Worthing police station today
Police are to question Price’s ex-husband Mr Hayler over historic sexual assault allegations relating to another woman they both knew
‘No arrest has been made at present. The girl is receiving support from specially trained officers’.
Mr Hayler’s spokesman previously told the Mirror: ‘Kieran is absolutely devastated by these untrue allegations and has requested to meet the investigating officer as soon as possible to clear his name.
‘He is certain that these allegations are false and have been fabricated by a third party in an act of revenge.
‘He will fight to clear his name and moreover for those responsible to be brought to justice.’
A source close to Mr Hayler added to The Sun: ‘Police have been in touch with Kieran regarding an allegation from 2016, which is believed to have been made by Katie. It relates to someone they knew while they were married.
‘Kieran is co-operating and insists he has done nothing wrong — but he’s happy to speak to the cops about it.
‘He just wants to move on from his marriage to Katie.’
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