Katie Price Handed Suspended Sentence for Drink Driving Whilst Disqualified

Former glamour model turned TV personality Katie Price piled her car whilst disqualified from driving and unfit through drink.

Price, 43, of Worthing Road, Dial Post, 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 on Wednesday, 29th September 2021.

She was back at the same court for sentencing this afternoon, the bench in September having made the unusual decision of deferring sentence until Price had undergone treatment for her addiction problems at The Priory Centre.

Price's most recent conviction arises from an incident where lost control of her black BMW on the B2135 near to Partridge Green, West Sussex, early on the morning of Tuesday, 28th September 2021.

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.

Debbie Jones, the prosecutor at the first hearing, 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.

District Judge Amanda Kelly, who has had previous dealings with Price, presided over today's sentencing hearing.

Addressing Price, the Judge said: "When you chose to get behind the wheel that night you showed no concern for others.

"You could have killed somebody.

"Your actions meant the emergency services had to use up their precious time. You knowingly and deliberately flouted a court order and not for the first time.

"You seem to think you are above the law."

Price was sentenced to 16 weeks' custody suspended for 12 months; 100 hours' unpaid work requirement and up to 30 days' rehabilitation activity requirement.

She was disqualified from driving for a period of 24 months and ordered to pay £128 surcharge and £85 towards prosecution costs.

No separate penalty was imposed in relation to the offence of driving without insurance.

Commentators are invariably scratching their heads wondering how Price managed to escape an immediate custodial sentence.

In passing the sentence she has the Judge has determined that Price's offences are so serious that only a custodial sentence is appropriate. The Judge has also determined that there are unique features to the case than mean the court can step back from immediate custody on this occasion.

I refer back to the unusual decision of the September bench to defer Price's sentencing. There is only one reason a court does that - to allow an offender the opportunity to "prove" them self prior to sentencing - in this case to allow Price the opportunity to "prove" herself by undergoing treatment - an opportunity beyond the reach of most offenders in similar circumstances.

The Judge could have imposed any sentence available by law today, but clearly felt tied to the "deal" offered to Price back in September.

According to reports, the Judge has told Price that she "was extremely lucky" her sentence had been deferred because if it hadn't have been she "may well have lost her liberty."

Deferment of sentence is always an option available to the court under section 5 of the Sentencing Act 2020.

A deferment of up to six months is permitted, but can only be made with the agreement of the offender.

It is unusual to see deferment of sentence in the Magistrates' Court, because the usual expectation is that the same bench will follow through with sentencing at the end of the deferment period.

That is difficult to achieve with the irregular sittings of a bench of lay justices, but can be done by a District Judge.

As today demonstrates, unfortunate situations can arise if bench A makes a deferment order in relation to offences that will end up being sentenced by bench B.