Hayler, 39, took pictures of messages on Ms Price’s phone when they were together in which she talks to the girl about Hayler fancying her, adding: “I will make you a little star.”
asserted
you → take → her
Giving evidence on Thursday, the former stripper denied the allegations and said: “I believe they’ve been fabricated.”
asserted
they → give → allegations
He told the trial that “trust had gone on both sides” of his marriage with Ms Price by mid-2013, and he admitted affairs with three other women during their relationship.
asserted
he → tell → relationship
He told jurors “I am attracted to older women” and that all his significant relationships had been with older women.
asserted
relationships → tell → women
Hayler said Ms Price was also unfaithful during their relationship.
asserted
Price → say → relationship
He found messages she sent to the complainant in 2017 when he was looking for evidence of her having an affair with someone else, the court heard.
asserted
court → find → someone
He told jurors Ms Price had been accusing him of being attracted to 15 to 20 other people, adding: “I thought she would be using she thought I fancied other people to warrant having this affair.”
asserted
I → tell → affair
Asked by his defence barrister Arlette Piercy why he took pictures of the messages between Ms Price and the complainant, he replied: “Because she made out that I fancied (the complainant).
asserted
I → ask → complainant
“I thought, ‘This is a bit weird’.”
asserted
This → think → ?
He said he accessed her phone the same way she had accessed his, by using his fingerprint.
asserted
she → say → fingerprint
Asked about what this showed, he said: “The relationship is breaking down.”
asserted
relationship → ask → what
The court previously heard that Ms Price messaged the teenager saying she had heard that Hayler and the girl had kissed and he had “tried it on” with her, adding later: “I will make you a little star.”
asserted
you → hear → her
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Asked in cross-examination by Ms Piercy about her use of the phrase “little star”, Ms Price said: “That’s a figure of speech.”
asserted
That → read → speech
On Thursday, Hayler said: “Everyone can interpret it how they want, it’s very pushy.
asserted
it → say → it
It’s a very strange comment to make.
asserted
It → ’ → ?
“I thought she was coaching her into (saying) something she shouldn’t.
“
asserted
she → think → something
I didn’t send them anywhere, I took a picture on my phone.”
asserted
I → send → phone
He told the court he found the picture of the messages “recently” after taking his phones out of storage when moving home.
asserted
he → tell → storage
He then sent them to his solicitor.
asserted
He → send → solicitor
Also on Thursday, Hayler pleaded not guilty to four alternative counts of sexual activity with a child after the close of the prosecution case.
asserted
Hayler → plead → case
The four lesser charges were added to the indictment so the jury could consider them as alternatives to the three rape counts and one of sexual assault.
uncertain
jury → add → assault
Judge Mark van der Zwart told the jury the “really important difference” between the charges was that the alternative counts have no reference to the “absence of consent”.
asserted
counts → tell → consent
The judge said: “It remains a matter entirely for you to decide if prosecution have made you sure any sexual activity took place between the complainant and the defendant Mr Hayler.
“No suggestion whatsoever from myself you should find any particular verdict of the facts.
“
asserted
you → say → facts
The position of the parties remains unchanged.”
asserted
position → remain → parties
He said the prosecution alleges the complainant was raped, while the defendant will maintain nothing sexual happened between them.
asserted
nothing → say → them
If convicted, the offence of rape carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment while sexual assault is up to 10 years.
asserted
assault → convict → imprisonment
Sexual activity with a child has a maximum sentence of 14 years.
asserted
activity → have → years
Hayler denies all the charges and suggested his ex-wife had “launched a campaign” against him when their marriage ended and the allegations form part of this, the court has heard.
uncertain
court → deny → this
He was married to Ms Price at the time of the allegations, before the couple’s relationship broke down in 2018 and they divorced in 2021.
asserted
they → break → 2021
The complainant first contacted the NSPCC in 2021 over the allegations, and the charity referred her to the police.
asserted
charity → contact → police
Hayler will continue giving evidence in the trial on Friday.
asserted
Hayler → continue → Friday
The Aporia
