Kieran Hayler, Katie Price's ex-husband, is on trial over claims that he raped a 13-year-old girl in 2016. The court has now heard what the girl told her mother about her time with him.
Hayler, 39, faces three rape charges and one charge of sexual assault over the case in West Sussex, but he denies all the charges. At Lewes Crown Court, the girl's mother said her daughter told her that Hayler had said he "didn't have any friends and she could be his best friend."
She also told the court that her daughter "liked the way he spoke to her." Her daughter told her that Hayler had "done everything to her." The mother, however, said she was shocked and tried to ask her daughter what she meant.
But the girl replied, "I can't tell you any more." The girl later contacted the NSPCC in 2021. The charity then passed the case to the police, who began looking into the claims.
During the trial, Hayler's defence suggested that nothing had happened. The girl's mother disagreed and said, "I did believe my daughter."
Hayler has denied the charges, and the trial is still going on. Legal proceedings continue to examine the evidence presented by the prosecution and the defence.
The court has ensured that the victim's identity remains protected under the law. Observers and media outlets are following the developments closely as the jury listens to witness testimonies.
Further hearings are scheduled for the coming weeks to determine the final verdict in this sensitive criminal trial.