PRICE ‘DESERVED TO GO TO PRISON’
Victim’s fury after star walks free over ‘vile’ text sent to ex’s phone
KATIE Price avoided jail after she admitted aiming a “vile” message at her former husband’s fiancee via his phone, a decision sparking anger from the victim.
The ex-glamour model, 44, appeared in court yesterday for breaching a restraining order by contacting Kieran Hayler’s partner Michelle Penticost.
Following the sentencing hearing, the couple told our sister paper the Mirror “they were incredibly disappointed with the result”.
They added: “We feel a custodial sentence would have sent the right message to the public given the seriousness of Ms Price’s offending.”
Mum-of-five Price spent 12 hours in police custody after being arrested at home in January.
In her message to Hayler, she branded his partner a “gutter slag”.
With a torrent of foul language she demanded he tell Penticost “not to start on me”. Adding: “She has a restraining order so shouldn’t try antagonise me as she is in breach.
“And I’m sure she doesn’t want people knowing she was having an affair with you behind my back.”
Price was banned from contacting Penticost directly or indirectly under a five-year restraining imposed in 2019.
After yesterday’s guilty plea, she received an 18-month community order with 150 hours of community service.
Price was also given an additional 20 hours for breach of a suspended sentence for driving matters.
She was ordered to pay £1,500 court costs. Judge Stephen Mooney told her:
“The words you used were highly offensive and inflammatory.”
Price showed no emotion as the sentence was announced but she gave a brief smile as she left the dock.
She was also fined £415 for a “tirade of abuse” at Penticost during a row in a school playground.
The court heard her message to Hayler may have been triggered by an Instagram post by his partner, which she denies was aimed at Price.
Price’s lawyer Nicholas Hamblin said there was an element of “provocation” and his client had been “overreacting as she felt she was being criticised”.
He added: “She has shown signs of remorse, she accepts an indirect breach.”
Mr Hamblin said Price had sought help for her “depressive disorder and anxiety” at the Priory Clinic. He added: “Ms Price is learning to cope with her emotional problems and to not react in the way she has in this case.
“She has two different personalities, the public one and the vulnerable one of being in the public eye.”
Price wore a green tracksuit as she arrived at Lewes crown court in East Sussex with her fiance Carl Woods.
She also swore after a reporter asked her about the chance she could be jailed.
On Thursday night, Price was seen “wiping away tears” before happily posing with pal Aisleyne Horgan Wallace at her make-up masterclass.
The case is just the latest in a chaotic few months for reality star Price.
Last December she narrowly avoided jail after flipping her BMW X5 following a booze and cocaine-fuelled crash.
Price, of West Sussex, told the court she had got behind the wheel of her car last September while drunk and banned from driving because she was “lonely” and wanted to see a friend.
A judge said she deserved to spend Christmas in jail but she was given a 16-week suspended sentence after admitting her ninth driving offence.
A custodial sentence would have sent the right message given seriousness of offending KIERAN HAYLER AND MICHELLE PENTICOST YESTERDAY