Kieran Hayler acquitted of all eight charges

A jury at Lewes Crown Court acquitted Kieran Hayler of all eight charges relating to alleged sexual offences against a 13-year-old girl in West Sussex in 2016, including three counts of rape and one count of sexual assault. The jury also found Hayler not guilty of four alternative counts of sexual activity with a child. The verdicts followed a trial in which the allegations and Hayler’s relationship with his former wife, Katie Price, were examined. Reports said the jury deliberated for nearly 15 hours. Hayler denied the charges. During the trial, he alleged that Price had orchestrated a smear campaign against him using fabricated allegations. Price denied that accusation and also rejected claims that she had acted out of anger or vengeance toward him. Price gave evidence for the prosecution. Hayler’s defence argued that the allegations arose from a feud between the former couple, who separated in 2018 and divorced in 2021. The prosecution challenged Hayler’s account, and the jury considered the evidence before reaching its verdicts. The trial also included a dispute over Price’s evidence. Hayler’s lawyer asked the judge to discharge the jury after Price’s testimony, arguing...