Katie Price: Warrant issued for arrest of former model
Katie Price is facing an arrest warrant because she did not show up to a court hearing about her financial troubles.
Judge Burton in the Insolvency and Companies Court emphasized that Ms. Price had been strongly advised to attend the hearing scheduled for Tuesday.
The previous model known for her glamour had not replied to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) regarding her unpaid debts, as stated in court.
HMRC requested payment last October.
A judge in a previous court appearance warned the ex-celebrity model that she could be arrested if she didn't show up for future court dates. The judge also stated that proof must be given if she is unable to attend.
When the arrest warrant was issued on Tuesday, Judge Burton stated that Ms. Price did not show up for the hearing and did not give a reason for her absence.
"I believe it is essential for the court to authorize an arrest warrant for Ms. Price."
"She doesn't have a valid reason for missing today's court session," she stated.
The reason she is not here today doesn't matter.
Judge Burton explained that the decision to issue an arrest warrant was not made easily, as Ms Price had only given small bits of information and had not provided the essential details needed regarding her bankruptcies.
Price initially filed for bankruptcy in 2019 due to outstanding debts, and then filed again in March of last year because of an unpaid tax bill totaling £761,994.05.
In February, Price was directed to give up 40% of her earnings from the adult content platform OnlyFans for the next three years due to a different disagreement about money owed.
Last October, Ms Price expressed frustration with the constant threats of legal action and declared she would rather go to jail to end the ordeal.
She was supposed to answer questions about her money situation on Tuesday in a court hearing. Barrister Darragh Connell stated in written documents that there is still a lot of important information missing about the bankrupt person's earnings and assets.
The court was also scheduled to review a request from the trustee regarding Ms. Price's cars.
Mr Connell informed the court that the trustee does not possess any knowledge regarding her current location.
He added that Ms. Price had mentioned she planned to give some of her vehicles to the trustee while she tried to pay off her bankruptcies, including her pink Range Rover with a personalized registration plate featuring the bankrupt's initials.
However, according to the court proceedings, this situation did not occur as Mr. Connell explicitly mentioned that it was clear the vehicles would not be returned by the bankrupt individual.
He stated that Ms. Price would not be held in jail for a long time, but would be kept to ensure she shows up for the next court date.
He stated that her freedom is at stake, but unfortunately, we have reached the end of the line in regards to this issue.
According to Mr. Connell, the request for Ms. Price to attend was initially made in January 2020 but has been postponed several times.
He also mentioned that Ms Price did not request to participate in Tuesday's hearing from a distance nor did she request for a delay.
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