THE mums of two drink-drive victims have blasted Katie Price after she was today spared jail for flipping her car in a horror crash. The women, whose relatives were killed by drink drivers, described the reality star’s suspended sentence as “disgusting” and “a mockery of British justice”. Kirsty Martell, whose 21-year-old brother Frank was killed […]
THE mums of two drink-drive victims have blasted Katie Price after she was today spared jail for flipping her car in a horror crash.
The women, whose relatives were killed by drink drivers, described the reality star’s suspended sentence as “disgusting” and “a mockery of British justice”.
Kirsty Martell, whose 21-year-old brother Frank was killed in 2017, said: “It’s a disgusting sentence. Price has escaped with just a slap on the wrist.
“This is just another example of how drink-driving isn’t taken seriously until someone is killed.”
The 35-year-old added: “Any drink-driver is just a ticking timebomb which could result in tragedy.
“Therefore, there must be much harsher penalties for drink-drivers to act as a severe deterrent to help avoid the tragedy that our family has gone through.”
Ceinwen Briddon, whose fashion student daughter died in March 2014 when her Fiat Punto was hit by an over-the-limit driver, agreed that Price’s 16-week suspended sentence, 100 hours of community service and 20 rehab sessions were nowhere near enough.
“It is unbelievable really,” she said.
“The fact is if she was already banned and then did it again it should have been an automatic jail sentence.
“It makes a mockery of the whole justice system of this country. I cannot believe she has got away with this when she was banned.
“Just because she has got money she thinks she is above the law.
“Something like this makes me really cross because it is just pure luck she has not killed anyone.
“My daughter was killed by a drink driver and I know a car is a powerful weapon.”
The 51-year-old added: “I am disgusted really. It is such a lenient sentence. She obviously has not learned her lesson if she has done this before.
“In two year’s time she will be back behind the wheel and she could kill anyone – your daughter, your mother, anybody.”
Read our Katie Price live blog for the latest updates
Former glamour model Price, 43, faced court today over a crash which saw her overturn her BMW in Horsham, West Sussex, in September.
The TV personality was going to see a pal because she was “lonely” when the smash took place.
She was already banned from driving when she got behind the wheel after taking cocaine and downing vodka and lemonades.
She was warned she could be facing jail when she pleaded guilty to one count of drink driving at Crawley Magistrates’ Court.
The former glamour model also admitted one count of driving without insurance and one count of driving while disqualified at the hearing in September.
But she was instead handed a 16-week prison sentence suspended for a year, 100 hours of community service and ordered to attend 20 rehab sessions.
Her driving ban was also extended for two years and she must pay £213 in costs on top of the £7,358 she already owes the court.
A judge blasted the former glamour model:
Sentencing, District Judge Amanda Kelly 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.”
The judge also said Price, who has six previous driving convictions, had “one of the worst driving records I have ever seen”.
She added: “The public may well be appalled to know I am not able to send you to prison today… you deserve to spend Christmas behind bars.”
Price was previously ordered to undertake treatment at the Priory and was slapped with an additional driving ban.
The mum-of-five jetted to Las Vegas with fiance Carl, 32, shortly after leaving the £2,000-a-week treatment centre.
The court was told Price was left “trapped” in her BMW before a witness helped her out and waited for emergency services to arrive.
After being confronted by police at the scene, Price was heard saying “I took drugs, I should not be driving, I admit it all”.
KATIE Price has been banned from driving six times in the last ten years after a series of infringements.
OCTOBER 2003: Escapes a speeding charge on a technicality.
JUNE 2008: Given three points for talking on mobile.
JULY 2010: Four points for speeding at 99mph.
SEPTEMBER: Three points for veering from her lane in her 7½-ton pink horsebox.
DECEMBER: Six-month ban after three more points for doing 83mph in a 70mph zone takes her total to 13.
AUGUST 2012: 12-month ban after failing to respond to two speeding tickets.
FEBRUARY 2018: Banned for six months for failing to give details about the person driving her speeding car.
JULY: Quizzed by police for getting behind the wheel while still banned. Says she thought ban was over.
SEPTEMBER: Crashes her £63,000 Ranger Rover while allegedly on her mobile.
OCTOBER: Held for suspected drink-driving. Spent a night in the cells.
DECEMBER: Charged over the drink-drive allegation.
JANUARY 2019: Three month ban for driving while banned.
FEBRUARY: Further three months after another driving conviction.
AUTUMN: Issued with sixth ban, this time for two years. Cut to 18 months on appeal.
MARCH 2021: Drives boyfriend’s Range Rover. An admin error meant an extra six months under totting up rules had not been added. Questioned by police.
SEPTEMBER: Arrested after turning over car
Prosecutor Debbie Jones said a drugs wipe gave a positive reading for cocaine but a charge of driving while unfit through drugs was withdrawn by the court.
She was also found to have an alcohol level of 66mg when breathalysed. The legal limit is 35mg.
She made no comment when taken to the police station but claimed she was “lonely” and wanted to visit a friend who was close by.
Defence barrister Joe Harrington told the court Price was “a lady with an awful lot going on”, referencing her five children as well as ongoing court matters with regards to bankruptcy.
He added that it was a “one-off incident” and that she overcorrected her driving, which is what caused her to crash.
Explaining why she was spared jail today, Judge Kelly said: “The law says that when a person has complied with the terms of their release, then you have a legitimate expectation you will not be sent to prison today – even though you deserve to spend Christmas behind bars.”
But on top of criticisms from the parents of drink-drive victims, the Campaign Against Drink Driving (CADD) blasted Price’s suspended sentence as “beyond belief”.
Trustee John Scruby, 61, a retired traffic cop, said: “When I heard she’d received a non-custodial sentence, I was absolutely gobsmacked.
“I am pretty sure it is only Price’s celebrity status that has saved her.
“I’d like to invite her to speak to bereaved relatives left behind by drink-driving and tell them she is sorry.
“It’s time for her to stop acting the spoilt little princess and grow up a bit.”
While Price escaped being thrown behind bars, the driver of the car which hit Kirsty’s brother Frank, Joseph Tame, was jailed for six years and banned from driving for eight after being two-and-a-half times over the drink-drive limit.
The driver who killed Ceinwen’s daughter Miriam Briddon, Gareth Entwhistle, was caged for five and a half years, which was later reduced by six months.
Price walked free at the same time as a motorist was jailed after he was caught driving while more than three times the legal limit.
Andrius Bartninkas, 33, of Haverhill, Suffolk, was caged for 20 weeks and given a five-year driving ban after admitting driving with excess alcohol.
He was spotted by cops driving erratically and almost colliding with a parked car.
Magistrates in Ipswich heard it was his third third drink-driving conviction and he was already banned from the roads for four years when nabbed.
Insp Gary Miller, of the Roads and Armed Policing Team, said: “I find it staggering that someone can be so reckless once – let alone on three occasions – and to drive while more than three times the limit is not only extremely idiotic and dangerous, it is a serious risk to life.
“The court was left with no option but to send him to prison.”
In the last ten years Price has been banned from driving a total of six times.
