Katie Price car crash: what happened to reality star in drink-driving accident - and what is her sentence?

Katie Price has been handed a 16-week suspended jail sentence for drink-driving while disqualified and without insurance following a crash near her home in Sussex. She has also been banned from driving for two years.

She appeared in court today (Wednesday 15 December) to be sentenced following a crash near her home in Sussex in September.

After the accident occurred, her family said in a statement that their “worst fears nearly came true”.

At the time of the crash, Sussex Police said that they “responded to reports of a single-vehicle collision” and that the woman at the scene “was arrested on suspicion of driving while above the legal limit for alcohol and drugs”.

This is everything you need to know about what happened.

What happened?

Price was involved in a car accident near her home in Sussex in September, with a Sussex Police spokesperson saying at the time: "Police responded to reports of a single-vehicle collision on the B2135 near Partridge Green around 6.20am on Tuesday.

"A woman was arrested on suspicion of driving while above the legal limit for alcohol and drugs, and has been taken to hospital to be checked over.

"The road was blocked temporarily while recovery of the vehicle was arranged."

The South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust added: "South East Coast Ambulance was called at approximately 6.30am to reports of an RTC on the B2135 at Partridge Green.

"One ambulance crew attended the scene and one person was assessed and treated before being taken to hospital."

The incident came after Price had appeared on the ITV show Good Morning Britain where she said: “Harvey’s in Cheltenham now, he keeps ringing me saying, “Mummy I miss you, I need your kisses and cuddles”, so it is quite hard.

“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.”

PC Tom Van Der Wee tweeted a photo of a car flipped on its side at the scene of the accident, and wrote: “Occupant of the vehicle is thankfully on the whole okay. Road is closed whilst we get the vehicle recovered.”

What has she been charged with?

After her arrest, Price was charged with driving without third party insurance, driving whilst disqualified and driving while unfit to drive through drink.

Price has been handed a 16-week suspended jail sentence and has also been banned from driving for two years.

What happened in court?

Price first appeared in the dock at Crawley Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 29 September.

The court heard that after being confronted at the scene of the accident, Price could be heard saying “I took drugs, I should not be driving, I admit it all”.

Prosecutor Debbie Jones also told the court that a drugs wipe returned a positive reading for cocaine.

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.”

Harrington said that the driving was a “one off incident” and that Price had decided to go and see a friend after being lonely in her home. He asked magistrates to defer the sentencing for several weeks.

He said: “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.”

Price is was sentenced today (Wednesday 15 December). She was given a sentence of 16 weeks suspended for 12 months, 100 hours of unpaid work, 20 sessions of rehabilitation work with probation, and a two-year driving ban.

She will also pay £213 in costs. The court was told that she already owes the court £7,358.

What did her family say?

After the crash, but prior to Price first appearing in court, he family issued a statement expressing their concern regarding her wellbeing.

Posting on Price’s Instagram account, they wrote: “This message has been written by Kate’s family.

“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.

“We would kindly ask that the media and wider public give Kate the time and space she needs to seek the necessary treatment, so that she can hopefully return to the Kate we know and love as a mother, daughter and sister.

“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.

“We are not asking for sympathy - just that it is recognised that Kate is unwell.

“We take great comfort in reading the messages of support and love for Kate that we will pass on to her, in the hope that these positive messages will help spur her on.

“It takes great strength for one to acknowledge they need help, we hope the door is now open for Kate to learn to love herself and to be happy within. Mental illness is not a personal failure.

“The Price Family xxx”

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