Kieran Hayler Denies Raping Teenager, Claims Ex-Wife Katie Price Coached Accuser
The former stripper told Lewes Crown Court that his significant relationships have always been with women older than himself.
Kieran Hayler, the ex-husband of Katie Price, has denied raping a 13-year-old girl, telling Lewes Crown Court that he is "attracted to older women" and that all his significant relationships have been with older women. Hayler, a former stripper, is accused of raping the teenager in West Sussex in 2016 and denies three counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.
During his testimony on Thursday, Hayler claimed the allegations were fabricated. He also accused Price of "coaching" the alleged victim, stating he discovered messages on Price's phone in 2017 that suggested he fancied the girl and that Price promised to make her "a little star." Hayler testified that he found these messages suspicious, noting Price's suggestion that he fancied other people, which he believed was an attempt to "warrant having this affair."
Hayler, who was married to Price from 2013 to 2021, admitted to having affairs with three other women during their marriage but claimed Price was also unfaithful. He told the court that trust between them had broken down by mid-2013, with "trust had gone on both sides." Price had reportedly accused him of being attracted to between 15 and 20 other people during their marriage.
Hayler's defense barrister, Arlette Piercy, questioned him about photographing the messages. He responded that he did so "because she made out that I fancied (the complainant)" and found it "a bit weird." He explained he accessed Price's phone using his fingerprint, a method she had previously used on his device, which he saw as indicative of their relationship breakdown.
He suggested that his then-wife was attempting to influence the teenager into making allegations against him, describing her messages as "very pushy" and "very strange." He stated he believed Price was "coaching her into (saying) something she shouldn’t," but he did not share the messages, only taking a photograph.
Price had previously defended her use of the phrase "little star," calling it a "figure of speech" when questioned about the messages. Hayler recently rediscovered the photographs from old phones while moving and subsequently provided them to his solicitor.
Hayler's defense has suggested that Price launched a "campaign" against him after their marriage collapsed, and that the current allegations are part of this campaign. The couple's relationship ended in 2018, and they divorced in 2021. Hayler was married to Price when the alleged offenses occurred in 2016.
The alleged victim, who is not related to either Hayler or Price, first contacted the NSPCC in 2021 regarding the allegations. The charity then referred the matter to the police.
On Thursday, Hayler also pleaded not guilty to four additional charges of sexual activity with a child. These charges were added as alternatives to the three rape counts and one count of sexual assault. Judge Mark van der Zwart clarified to the jury that the key difference in the alternative charges is the absence of the "absence of consent" element. He emphasized that the jury must decide if the prosecution has proven any sexual activity occurred, stressing that the prosecution maintains the complainant was raped, while Hayler maintains nothing sexual happened.
If convicted, Hayler faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment for rape, ten years for sexual assault, and 14 years for sexual activity with a child. He denies all eight charges. The trial is scheduled to continue on Friday.