Katie Price told police “I took drugs, I should not be driving, I admit it all”, a court has heard, as she pleaded guilty to drink-driving while disqualified and without insurance following a crash near her home in Sussex.
The former glamour model, 43, appeared at Crawley Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday after the collision on the B2135 near Partridge Green the previous morning.
She was charged with driving while unfit to drive through drink, using a motor vehicle on a public place without third party insurance and driving while disqualified.
Katie appeared in the dock before two magistrates wearing a pink jumper.
After being confronted by police at the scene, the reality star was heard saying “I took drugs, I should not be driving, I admit it all”, the court heard.
A drugs wipe gave a positive reading for cocaine, prosecutor Debbie Jones said.
An image shared by police from the scene on Tuesday showed a car flipped on its side.
Officers responded to the crash at around 6.20am, where Katie was arrested on suspicion of driving while above the legal limit for alcohol and drugs, and was taken to hospital.
Defence solicitor Joe Harrington said: “She has had a lot of personal problems recently.
“Currently she is in the process of bankruptcy proceedings so her house may be repossessed.
“So quite a lot going on in this lady’s life, a really difficult period,” he added.
Mr Harrington argued that the driving was a “one-off” incident.
He added: “As I understand it she had been drinking, she was lonely and she decided to go and see a friend who lived a relatively short distance away and that is when the incident happened.”
He asked magistrates to defer the sentencing for several weeks.
Chair of the bench Julie Hutton deferred sentencing until 15 December on the condition that Katie undergo treatment at the Priory, not commit any further offences, and be banned from driving in the interim.
The chair warned her: “We regularly send people to prison for driving whilst disqualified.”
Following the hearing, Katie was ushered out of the back of Crawley Magistrates’ Court while police officers stood by.
She wore a blanket over her face as she got into a blue Fiat car and was driven away.
After the crash but before the court appearance, Katie’s family had expressed concern for her wellbeing.
In a statement from the family shared on Katie’s Instagram account, they said: “As a family we have for some time been concerned about Kate’s wellbeing and overall mental health.
“Today our worst fears nearly came true. As a family we have been and will continue to help Kate get the help she needs.
“We hope that she will realise that she cannot battle her issues alone.”
The family asked the media and public to give Katie space to “seek the necessary treatment”.
The statement added: “We are concerned and worried about her deeply, we know she lives her life publicly and to many she is fair game, but as a family we hope she can find her path privately moving forward during this very difficult period in her life.
Appearing on ITV’s Good Morning Britain on Monday, the day before the crash, Katie claimed she is banned from driving until the end of the year.
Discussing her disabled son Harvey, 19, she said: “Harvey’s in Cheltenham now.
“He keeps ringing me saying, ‘Mummy I miss you, I need kisses and cuddles’, so it is quite hard because obviously I don’t get my licence back until December, so I can’t just whizz in the car down there and it’s not close.”
The former glamour model, 43, appeared at Crawley Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday after the collision on the B2135 near Partridge Green the previous morning.
She was charged with driving while unfit to drive through drink, using a motor vehicle on a public place without third party insurance and driving while disqualified.
Katie appeared in the dock before two magistrates wearing a pink jumper.
After being confronted by police at the scene, the reality star was heard saying “I took drugs, I should not be driving, I admit it all”, the court heard.
A drugs wipe gave a positive reading for cocaine, prosecutor Debbie Jones said.
An image shared by police from the scene on Tuesday showed a car flipped on its side.
Officers responded to the crash at around 6.20am, where Katie was arrested on suspicion of driving while above the legal limit for alcohol and drugs, and was taken to hospital.
Defence solicitor Joe Harrington said: “She has had a lot of personal problems recently.
“Currently she is in the process of bankruptcy proceedings so her house may be repossessed.
“So quite a lot going on in this lady’s life, a really difficult period,” he added.
Mr Harrington argued that the driving was a “one-off” incident.
He added: “As I understand it she had been drinking, she was lonely and she decided to go and see a friend who lived a relatively short distance away and that is when the incident happened.”
He asked magistrates to defer the sentencing for several weeks.
Chair of the bench Julie Hutton deferred sentencing until 15 December on the condition that Katie undergo treatment at the Priory, not commit any further offences, and be banned from driving in the interim.
The chair warned her: “We regularly send people to prison for driving whilst disqualified.”
Following the hearing, Katie was ushered out of the back of Crawley Magistrates’ Court while police officers stood by.
She wore a blanket over her face as she got into a blue Fiat car and was driven away.
After the crash but before the court appearance, Katie’s family had expressed concern for her wellbeing.
In a statement from the family shared on Katie’s Instagram account, they said: “As a family we have for some time been concerned about Kate’s wellbeing and overall mental health.
“Today our worst fears nearly came true. As a family we have been and will continue to help Kate get the help she needs.
“We hope that she will realise that she cannot battle her issues alone.”
The family asked the media and public to give Katie space to “seek the necessary treatment”.
The statement added: “We are concerned and worried about her deeply, we know she lives her life publicly and to many she is fair game, but as a family we hope she can find her path privately moving forward during this very difficult period in her life.
Appearing on ITV’s Good Morning Britain on Monday, the day before the crash, Katie claimed she is banned from driving until the end of the year.
Discussing her disabled son Harvey, 19, she said: “Harvey’s in Cheltenham now.
“He keeps ringing me saying, ‘Mummy I miss you, I need kisses and cuddles’, so it is quite hard because obviously I don’t get my licence back until December, so I can’t just whizz in the car down there and it’s not close.”
