Katie Price has avoided jail after breaching a restraining order blocking contact with her ex-husband Kieran Hayler’s fiancee Michelle Penticost.
The 44-year-old former glamour model has been handed an 18-month community order to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work – with an additional 20 hours for breach of a suspended sentence for driving matters.
Price showed no emotion as the verdict was announced but gave a brief smile as she left the dock.
She pleaded guilty last month to breaching a restraining order and appeared at Lewes Crown Court on Friday morning for sentencing.
The reality TV star and mother-of-five sent a “highly offensive and inflammatory” text message to Mr Hayler describing his fiancee as a “gutter s***” and “c*****g w****”.
She had been banned from contacting Ms Penticost directly or indirectly, under the terms of a five-year restraining order imposed at Horsham Magistrates’ Court on 3 June 2019 – and had been fined £415 for hurling a foul-mouthed “tirade of abuse” at her during a row in a school playground.
The text was apparently sent after Price became aware of an Instagram post by Ms Penticost about how she had been treated badly by other people and how to deal with it.
Ms Penticost said the post was not related to Price, according to the prosecution.
The court heard the offence was committed due to Price’s use of the words “tell your”, which was an indirect attempt to communicate with Ms Penticost.
Breaching a protection order – such as a restraining order – carries a maximum prison term of five years.
In a victim impact statement read to the court, Ms Penticost said the impact of the restraining order breach by Price had a “devastating effect” on her mental wellbeing.
She said: “The impact of what Katie has done is very upsetting, I feel threatened and intimidated.”
Nicholas Hamblin, representing Price, said his client had pleaded guilty to the breach but she had been under a “misunderstanding” that the restraining order “worked both ways”.
He said there was an element of “provocation” and she had been “over-reacting as she felt she was being criticised”.
“She has shown signs of remorse, she accepts an indirect breach,” he added.
Last month, before the end of proceedings, the judge warned the TV personality and businesswoman that she was “in very grave danger of going to prison,” adding: “I really hope I don’t see you here again.”
Judge Stephen Mooney told Price today: “In my judgement, this offence was committed out of anger.
“The words you used were highly offensive and inflammatory so the breach cannot be considered minor.
“In my judgement, balancing the aggravating and mitigating factors, the appropriate sentence is a medium-level community order.”
Price was also ordered to pay £1,500 court costs.