Katie Price: Judge gives former model warning after court no-show

Katie Price has been warned by a judge she must attend a further court hearing with “no ifs or buts”, after she was arrested at Heathrow Airport.

The former model, 46, was held on her return to the UK on Thursday evening for failing to attend a previous hearing relating to her bankruptcies.

She appeared at the Royal Courts of Justice after an arrest warrant was issued on 30 July.

Deputy Insolvency and Companies Court Judge Daniel Schaffer set a further hearing for 27 August, telling Ms Price: “You have to attend that date, no ifs or buts, no going abroad, no holidays.”

Ms Price had previously said she was “not running from matters”, but was “away working for a documentary on corrective surgeries” during last week’s court hearing.

The previous hearing heard reports that Ms Price had travelled to Turkey.

The former glamour model arrived on foot at the court on Friday afternoon, wearing a black head covering and bandages, surrounded by photographers.

Judge Schaffer ordered Ms Price to give an “undertaking” to the court that she would attend a further hearing to face questions over her finances on 27 August.

“If you breach the undertakings in any way, shape or form, you will be brought back into custody,” he said. “It is quite a serious matter”.

Ms Price confirmed that she understood and added: “I will move my diary for it.”

Ms Price asked the judge whether she could attend the next hearing by Zoom or a side room because she finds it “difficult in court”.

But the request was declined by Judge Schaffer, who said it did “not take Einstein” to apply to attend remotely.

She also told the court that she did not have legal representation, adding: “I have tried to get legal advice but have been charged £50,000 upfront”.

Ms Price said: “I can’t get legal aid because I earn. I don’t know what to do on this.”

The hearing was held at the Rolls Building, but the media personality appeared remotely via a video link from an office of High Court enforcement staff at the Royal Courts of Justice.

She was accompanied by another woman during the hearing, who she described as an “appropriate adult”.

The Metropolitan Police said it had arrested a 46-year-old woman from Surrey at Heathrow at 19:45 BST on Thursday.

She was initially remanded in custody at a west London police station, but the PA news agency said it understood she was bailed later in the evening.

Ms Price, who was born in Brighton but lives in Surrey, was declared bankrupt in November 2019 and again in March this year.

In February, she was ordered to pay 40% of her monthly income from adult entertainment website OnlyFans for the next three years, in relation to her first bankruptcy.

She was declared bankrupt for a second time in March over an unpaid tax bill of more than £750,000.

Previously, Ms Price had received “very clear warnings” from a judge that she must attend the 30 July hearing.

She had been due to face questions from barristers representing the trustee of her two bankruptcies.