Hayler Cleared of Raping 13-Year-Old Girl
A jury found Kieran Hayler, 39, not guilty of raping and sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl. The verdicts came Thursday at Lewes Crown Court.
- 3 rape counts and 1 sexual assault count ended in acquittal.
- 4 alternative counts of sexual activity with a child also failed.
- 15 hours, roughly, of jury deliberation preceded majority verdicts.
- 2016 is when prosecutors said the alleged offenses occurred in West Sussex.
Why it matters: Hayler told jurors the allegations were fabricated. He accused Price, his wife in 2016, of coaching the complainant.
- Defense cited 2017 messages from Price to the girl about Hayler.
- Prosecutor Ryan Richter said those messages showed the complainant admitting sexual contact.
How 4 sources split on this story
Center coverage, 1 sources: The center presents the verdict count by count, noting Hayler's denial and the couple's marital timeline.
Left coverage, 1 sources: The left reports the acquittal briefly, focused on the verdict and the charges.
Right coverage, 2 sources: The right foregrounds Hayler's emotional reaction, his claim that Price set him up, and her clashes in court.
What’s next: The complainant, now 23, reported the allegations to the NSPCC in 2021. No further proceedings were reported.
- The BBC said its report was still being updated.
- Will Price or prosecutors respond publicly to the verdicts?
