CCTV footage has emerged showing former glamour model Katie Price driving into a petrol station on the A14 bypass in Kettering, Northamptonshire, despite lacking a valid driving license and insurance, prompting outrage from road safety campaigners.
Price, who was declared bankrupt in 2019, was seen driving a Range Rover into the filling station on August 2 last year. Despite numerous previous driving offences, including being banned from driving for two years after crashing her BMW in 2021, Price managed to avoid jail time yet again. Instead, she was handed an £880 fine for her latest transgression.
The court’s decision has sparked criticism from road safety advocates, with John Scruby from the Campaign against Drink Driving calling for harsher penalties for Price. Scruby emphasized the need for a custodial sentence, expressing concern that it might be the only way to prevent her from repeatedly flouting road laws.
During the trial held at Northampton Magistrates’ Court, Price was found guilty in her absence after failing to attend court. CCTV footage presented during the trial showed Price, clad in black slippers, stepping out of the driver’s side of her car at the service station.
Prosecutors revealed that Price had previously received five driving bans and highlighted her history of driving offences, including driving while disqualified and without insurance.
Despite Price’s absence, magistrates imposed an £880 fine along with £620 in costs and a £352 victim surcharge. Chair of the bench Neil Sheppard affirmed the guilty verdict, stating, “From the evidence we have been shown, the case is proven against Miss Price.
Price’s lawyer argued that her driving license had expired due to a medical stop placed on it in April last year, but this did not absolve her from the offence.
In addition to her fine, Price received eight penalty points on her license, bringing the total number of penalty points to 11. Her license is now understood to be classified as revoked.
This latest incident adds to Price’s extensive history of driving offences, including speeding and driving while disqualified. Despite multiple convictions, Price has managed to evade significant jail time, raising questions about the effectiveness of current sentencing measures for repeat offenders like her.
The court’s decision comes weeks after a High Court ruling that Price would lose nearly half of her monthly income from the adult entertainment website OnlyFans over the next three years to settle outstanding debts stemming from her bankruptcy in 2019.
Price’s repeated brushes with the law highlight the challenges authorities face in deterring habitual offenders from endangering themselves and others on the road.
As Price’s legal saga continues, road safety campaigners and legal experts advocate for stricter enforcement and sentencing measures to ensure accountability and deterrence for repeat offenders.
