Katie Price avoids being quizzed at High Court over her finances as hearing is adjourned so she can attend a ‘private interview’ after her lawyers argued that a public examination may affect her ‘mental wellbeing’
Katie Price’s bankruptcy hearing at the High Court has been adjourned so she can attend a ‘private interview’ after her lawyers warned a public examination of her finances would affect her ‘mental wellbeing’.
The former glamour model, 46, appeared at the Royal Courts of Justice in central London this morning dressed in an all-black outfit and sunglasses.
She was accompanied by her lawyer Bertie Beor-Roberts who asked for an adjournment during the proceedings and it was granted by Chief Insolvency and Companies Court Judge Nicholas Briggs.
Price was previously arrested at Heathrow airport on August 8 over a failure to attend a hearing in relation to her enormous £760,000 debt.
She was told by a judge she must appear on August 27 with ‘no ifs or buts, no going abroad, no holidays’.
Katie Price ‘s bankruptcy hearing at the High Court has been adjourned so she can attend a ‘private interview’ after her lawyers warned a public examination of her finances would affect her ‘mental wellbeing’
The former glamour model, 46, appeared at the Royal Courts of Justice in central London this morning dressed in an all-black outfit and sunglasses
She was previously arrested at Heathrow airport on August 8 over a failure to attend a hearing in relation to her enormous £760,000 debt
Price was accompanied to Court 15 of Rolls Buidling, part of the Royal Courts of Justice, by her lawyer.
Beor-Roberts immediately asked Judge John Briggs to grant an adjournment.
‘The general purpose of this adjournment is to permit Ms Price to attend a private interview with the trustees,’ he said.
‘As noticed from correspondence, Ms Price’s business interests are somewhat complex.
‘Certain matters have been dealt with by third parties and by assistants for some time and it’s been quite complicated for her to get hold of certain documents.
‘She’s not going to give the best answers she can give today if [she] is not able to consult with those who might have looked after certain affairs.’
Beor-Roberts argued Katie’s ‘mental wellbeing and privacy’ might negatively affect the ‘usefulness’ of any information given in court.
‘Ms Price has long been subject to intense media scrutiny’, he said.
He referred to her ‘PTSD and ADHD’ and told the court that ‘these conditions would be exacerbated by a public examination of her personal affairs.’
‘She’s able to give more considered answers in the security of a private interview where she’s not under pressure from the media.’
Judge Briggs told Mr Beor-Roberts: ‘The concern is, we’ve been here before.’
Derragh O’Connell, for the trustees, accepted the idea of a private interview but said that ‘late developments have been the consistent theme’ across the bankruptcy hearings.
He continued: ‘We need progress in relation to this matter as quickly as possible.’
O’Connell told the judge that there ‘has been engagement from Ms Price’ since her arrest but asked for the private interview to ‘take place on very firm grounds.’
Price was sat in court alongside Lynne Rickwood who had previously been introduced as her appropriate adult.
Rickwood had once worked for Sussex social services but was fired after she became too close to Price after being offered a job as a nanny to her children.
She was accompanied by her lawyer Bertie Beor-Roberts (right) who asked for an adjournment during the proceedings
Price addressed the media as she walked into the court and said: ‘You alright there guys’
Price, dressed all in black, took off her large black sunglasses after she entered the building
Her ex-boyfriend Alex Reid was also in attendance watching proceedings from the public gallery
Her ex-boyfriend Alex Reid was also in attendance watching proceedings from the public gallery.
Price was arrested upon her return to the UK from Turkey nearly three weeks ago and remanded in custody at a west London police station. She was then bailed a few hours later by an out-of-hours magistrate.
She arrived at the Royal Courts of Justice the next day where she turned up wearing a beige outfit and black head covering to conceal her injuries caused by a £10,000 facelift she had in Turkey.
Deputy Insolvency and Companies Court Judge Daniel Schaffer ordered the model to give an ‘undertaking’ to the court that she would attend a further hearing to face questions over her finances on August 27 at 10.30am.
Price confirmed that she understood she must attend and later said: ‘I will move my diary for it.’
It led to Judge Schaffer discharging the arrest warrant issued against her on July 30 by a different judge after she failed to attend a previous hearing.
Price previously said she was ‘not running from matters’, but was ‘away working for a documentary on corrective surgeries’ during the court hearing.
In a now-deleted statement on Instagram, Price wrote: ‘I am aware that I am about to be detained at the airport which is obviously what the courts feel is necessary.
‘I do hope of course for my son’s sake who is with me that they will allow some dignity and protection for at least his sake as this will be extremely disturbing for him to see.
‘Whilst I understand the importance and severity of the matter I do feel like I am being treated like a criminal.’
Photographs from August 8 show the former model being taken away by police after landing at about 7.45pm with her son Harvey, 22, and boyfriend JJ Slater, 31, who was left to pick up her bags.
Katie Price arrested at Heathrow Airport after failing to appear in front of a judge on July 30
Price’s son Harvey is helped by a Heathrow assistance worker after Price arrived at the airport
Members of the airport’s assistance team were seen pushing Harvey in a wheelchair through a corridor in the terminal as he watched his mother being arrested.
Price, whose head was covered in bandages, was later seen sitting on the edge of a police van before applying lipstick and taking a few puffs of her vape.
The mother-of-five, who lives in Sussex, failed to appear in front of a judge on July 30 as a part her £760,000 bankruptcy court proceedings and instead flew to Turkey on holiday for her sixth facelift while staying at a £133-a-night five-star hotel.
Price was aware she would be detained at the airport but had asked police that they ‘allow some dignity and protection’ for Harvey, claiming it would be ‘extremely disturbing for him to see’.
In a statement posted to Instagram, Price claimed she had been in Turkey filming a documentary.
She said on return from work, she would be ‘detained at the airport’ which is what the ‘courts feel is necessary.’
Discussing her son Harvey, Price asked that authorities ‘allow some dignity and protection for at least his sake as this will be extremely disturbing for him to see’.
While acknowledging the ‘severity’ of the matter, Price said she was being treated ‘like a criminal’ and declared the ‘unfortunate financial circumstance’ did not make her a ‘criminal or bad person’.
Defiantly, Price said she was ‘not embarrassed or ashamed’ regarding the arrest.
She explained that her bankruptcy was due to ‘serious mental health issues and breakdowns from PTSD’.
She added that she would be paying back debtors and hoped for ‘Harvey’s sake it’s handled with care and compassion’.
Her statement came after she was ordered to pay £25,000 after being declared bankrupt twice.
Price seen exiting a police van following her arrest at Heathrow Airport
Price sat on the edge of a police van before applying lipstick
A judge at a previous hearing said Price risked arrest if she did not attend further court dates, adding evidence must be provided if she could not appear.
Issuing the arrest warrant , Judge Burton said she had ‘failed to attend today’s hearing’ and had provided no explanation for her absence.
She said: ‘It is in my judgment necessary that the court issue a warrant for Ms Price’s arrest.
She continued: ‘The reason for her absence today is irrelevant.’
Judge Burton said that an arrest warrant was not issued ‘lightly’ but that Price had offered only ‘piecemeal co-operation’ and failed to provide the ‘most basic information’ in relation to her bankruptcies.
Previously, Price was served an eviction notice that ordered her to leave her ‘Mucky Mansion’ by the end of May and has since moved into a £5,000 per month new Tudor-style property.
She was declared bankrupt for a second time in March over an unpaid tax bill of £761,994.05 after first being declared bankrupt in 2019.
However, at the end of July she claimed ‘everything is sorted’ with her second bankruptcy after being evicted from her Sussex home.
Katie Price, 46, arriving at the Royal Courts of Justice in London on August 9
Price’s head covered in bandages and black tape after her facelift in Turkey
Court artist drawing by Elizabeth Cook of Price with her knees up at court
Price flew to Turkey on July 29, sharing a snap of her on a plane just hours before her court hearing the day after.
It’s believed Price – whose £2million home was recently repossessed – was joined on the jaunt by her friend Lou Anderson.
In Turkey, Price had her sixth facelift, which cost £10,000.
She is understood to have had the facelift at the Trio Clinic in Istanbul, with work being carried out on her eyes and under her chin.
Price also underwent another dental procedure, sharing pictures of her new veneers.
On Instagram, she posted snaps of her new dental work, wearing sunglasses with the name of the dental surgery ‘Dentica’ on.
Price was also seen in Istanbul with Harvey, revealing her latest surgically enhanced looks in a pair of oversized sunglasses, which did little to hide the bandages, staples and surgical tape around her face.
Katie Price pictured for the first time with a heavily bandaged and bruised face after having her sixth facelift in Turkey
Model and Reality TV Star Katie Price pictured with her son Harvey
Revealing her latest surgically enhanced looks, Price walked down the street with son Harvey, 22, in Istanbul
Taking on Instagram a few weeks ago, Price dismissed claims that she travelled to Turkey after being turned down by other cosmetic surgeons.
She said: ‘I’m filming my new documentary. The reason I’ve chose the Trio Clinic is because I’ve had friends who have had surgery there and in my opinion they are the best for what I want doing.
‘I can’t wait, they’re amazing, and they’re thorough here.’
She wrote: ‘Whilst I’m currently aware of the severity of my current personal financial situation with my ongoing bankruptcy, I am today shocked that whilst away working for a documentary on corrective surgeries that I should find myself yet again headline news.
‘The media in my opinion once again are trying to cause continued humiliation to myself and family. There are far greater and more pressing issues going on around the world that are more important and I’m sure most people are bored reading stories that are constantly misrepresented.
‘I have I am continuing to to cooperate with the relevant people on matters to the best of my ability which will be addressed after my return from work.
‘Despite consistent stories trying to humiliate me on my personal misfortunes, I am neither embarrassed or ashamed. I own my situation and I am trying my best to work my out of it and put matters right.’
Price added that she was going through ‘challenging times’ and was doing ‘the best I can’ for the sake of her family.
She wrote: ‘I have to continue in my work in order to satisfy these bankruptcy orders which is all I am trying to do right now. I am however not running from matters and will continue to take matters with great seriousness.
‘I am doing the best I cam to rectify things during extremely challenging times. Once again I would like to highlight there are far greater and more news worthy stories.
‘I will continue to work on my mental health disorders for the sake of my self and my family and do the best I can.’
