Australian soccer star Sam Kerr was acquitted of racially abusing a UK police officer after a trial in Kingston Crown Court. Kerr, captain of the Matildas and Chelsea striker, admitted using offensive language but denied intending to harass the officer.
Australian soccer star Samantha Kerr was found not guilty of racially abusing a UK police officer by a British jury in a unanimous verdict. Kerr, the 31-year-old Matildas captain and star striker with English club Chelsea, had denied a charge of racially aggravated harassment, but admitted she repeatedly called Constable Stephen Lovell 'f---ing stupid and white' during a drunken altercation over a taxi fare with police in January 2023.
The jury, comprising of eight men and four women, deliberated for about four hours before reaching its verdict at Kingston Crown Court. The offence carries up to two years’ imprisonment and a fine of nearly $5000. Kerr, her parents Roger and Roxanne, brother Levi and pregnant fiancée Kristie Mewis, were all present for their decision. Kerr, wearing a white shirt, showed little emotion when the verdict was read, but Mewis broke down in tears and was comforted by Roger. Kerr was overheard saying 'hope to never see you again' to the dock officer as she left. She then hugged her brother. The case stemmed from an incident in which Kerr and her partner, West Ham midfielder Kristie Mewis, were involved in a chaotic taxi ride. They were driven to a police station by a taxi driver who complained that they refused to pay for cleaning costs after Kerr vomited in the vehicle and Mewis smashed the car’s rear window. The pair told the court they were in an intoxicated and highly distressed state, believing the taxi driver had tried to kidnap and hold them hostage.A key part of the trial was police bodycam footage played to the court, where Kerr had also referred to officers as 'white' and 'privileged' earlier in recorded exchanges. In his statement, Lovell said being called 'stupid and white' made him feel 'shocked, upset and leaving me feel humiliated,' adding, 'they were too far and I took great offence to them'. Kerr told the court she used the words because she felt she was being treated differently because of her skin color by a person in a position of power, but said she didn’t mean to harass him. Kerr is the captain and all-time leading scorer for Australia’s women’s team with 69 goals since her debut in 2009. She is recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament injury she sustained at a training camp in Morocco in January last year. She is regarded as one of the finest players in the English women’s competition, having won several trophies since joining Chelsea in 2019, scoring 99 goals in 128 matches.
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