Price facing trial over ‘row in school playground’

KATIE Price will stand trial after denying using abusive and threatening behaviour outside a school in a row with her ex-partner’s girlfriend.

The former glamour model (40) said she was “definitely not guilty” when she appeared at Crawley Magistrates’ Court yesterday morning.

Price, who lives in Dial Post, near Horsham in West Sussex, is facing two charges of using threatening and abusive words or behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress in the nearby village of Shipley on September 6 last year.

Prosecutor Georgina Kent told the court Price is accused of a verbal altercation with Michelle Pentecost, who is dating her estranged husband, Kieran Hayler, and another woman in the playground of a primary school.

The alleged offence is said to have been witnessed by two teachers.

Standing in the dock holding her phone, Price was asked to enter her plea and said: “Definitely not guilty.”

She was released on bail until she stands trial at Horsham Magistrates’ Court on June 3, where she is due to give evidence alongside Miss Pentecost.

When reminded by chairman of the bench Serena Stewart of the importance of attending the court date, Price replied: “I will definitely be attending, don’t worry about that.”

This is the third time this year Price has been in court. Katie Price yesterday

Her latest appearance comes a day after her boyfriend, Kris Boyson, attended a separate court hearing in Kent accused of threatening a police officer after a row with a photographer, which he denies.

Price arrived in a blackedout Mercedes van accompanied by a camera crew, wearing a fur-trimmed coat, a black Cossack-style hat, sunglasses and trousers with ankle boots.

While being escorted to the doors of the building, she joked with photographers that they “must be getting bored” of her.

She removed the hat for the hearing and when entering the room asked the usher, “Am I back in that box?”, as she pointed to the dock.

Price failed to turn up to court over the allegations while on holiday last week and was criticised by District Judge Amanda Kelly, who said she apparently had something “more important” to do, adding: “This shows a lack of respect for the whole court system.”

She did not turn up to police interviews about the matter and was sent a postal requisition on February 7 informing her of the need to attend the hearing, the judge was told.

Last month she was given another driving ban after being convicted of being nearly twice the limit while in charge of her Range Rover, and told to pay £2,425, including a £1,500 fine.

In a separate prosecution in January she was banned after admitting driving while disqualified, and ordered to pay a £1,100 fine plus court costs.