Former glamour model turned TV personality Katie Price was under the influence of both drink and drugs when she piled her car on Tuesday morning.
Price, 43, of Horsham, West Sussex, admitted charges of driving whilst unfit through drink, driving whilst disqualified and driving without insurance when she appeared in custody at Crawley Magistrates' Court this morning, 29th September 2021.
Magistrates heard that Price lost control of her black BMW on the B2135 near to Partridge Green, West Sussex, early on Tuesday morning.
She flipped the vehicle onto its side by over-correcting the steering.
Police attended the scene and required Price to provide a roadside specimen of breath and drug swipe. Having failed the roadside test, Price was arrested and further breathalysed on an evidential machine, which confirmed a reading of 66 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath - almost twice the legal limit of 35 microgrammes.
Prosecutor Debbie Jones confirmed that the drug swipe also tested positive, although the Crown was content to accept Price's admission in relation to the drink drive offence only.
Joe Harrington, mitigating, explained that Price was facing a series of "personal problems", including bankruptcy proceedings which could result in the loss of her home. The crash, he said, was a "one-off" incident - a curious observation given Price's previous convictions for related offences.
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."
Julie Hutton JP, Presiding Justice, deferred sentencing until Wednesday, 15th December 2021, on the condition that Price undergoes treatment for her substance misuse at the Priory Centre.
She also ordered pre-sentence reports, warning Price that all options, including custody, remained on the table.
Price was granted unconditional bail until her next hearing. She emerged from court concealed under a blanket, to be driven away by her father.
Deferral of sentence is always an option available to the court under section 5 of the Sentencing Act 2020. A deferral of up to six months is permitted, but can only be made with the agreement of the offender.
It is to be hoped, for her sake, that Price really makes a go of her treatment at the Priory and engages fully with the Probation Service.
The court rightly takes a dim view of motorists who disregard its orders by driving when disqualified - even more so when they are tanked up, repeat offenders who show cavalier disregard for the safety of other road users.
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