Katie Price Faces Arrest Threat Over Missed Bankruptcy Hearings
Former glamour model Katie Price could face arrest if she continues to miss hearings over her bankruptcy without a reasonable excuse, the High Court has been told. The 46-year-old was declared bankrupt for the second time last month over an unpaid tax bill of £761,994.05.
Price had been due to face questions about her finances before a specialist bankruptcy court in London on Friday but failed to attend. She provided medical evidence citing health reasons as her excuse for not being able to attend, which a judge described as “scanty.”
Barristers for the trustees of Price’s first bankruptcy asked the judge to order her attendance at a future hearing and warned her that she could be arrested if she did not comply. The demand for payment was made by HMRC last October, but Price had failed to respond.
In written submissions, the trustees’ representative stated that any future non-attendance without a reasonable excuse would constitute contempt of court and necessitate an application for a warrant for her arrest. Price’s personal assistant had sent a statement from a consultant psychiatrist saying she had anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues preventing her from attending the hearing.
Insolvency and Companies Court Judge Mark Mullen ordered Price to attend the next hearing unless she provided a reasonable excuse and medical information to facilitate her giving evidence. Price’s former husband, Alex Reid, attended the hearing and made notes throughout.
In February, Price was ordered to forfeit 40% of her income from OnlyFans for the next three years to pay off her debts. Price has been open about her struggles with bankruptcy and mental health, stating that people should not be ashamed of being declared bankrupt and that she had been struggling with her mental health in recent years.
Price’s ongoing legal battles and financial troubles continue to make headlines, with the threat of arrest looming if she does not comply with court orders regarding her bankruptcy hearings.