Chelsea striker Sam Kerr was Tuesday found not guilty of causing racially aggravated harassment after calling a British police officer "stupid and white".
A jury at Kingston Crown Court in London cleared the Australia captain in relation to the incident in southwest London on January 30, 2023.
Kerr, 31, and her partner, West Ham midfielder Kristie Mewis, had been out drinking when they were driven to Twickenham Police Station by a taxi driver who complained they had refused to pay clean-up costs after one of them vomited, and one of them had smashed the vehicle's rear window.
At the police station, Kerr became "abusive and insulting" towards police officer Stephen Lovell, calling him "stupid and white".
A jury returned the not guilty verdict after deliberating for more than four hours since Monday.
Judge Peter Lodder said after the verdict: "I take the view her own behaviour contributed significantly to the bringing of this allegation."
The Australian showed no emotion during the reading of the verdict but gave a thumbs up to her lawyer after the judge had left.
"Following today's not guilty verdict, I can finally put this challenging period behind me," Kerr said in a statement.
"While I apologise for expressing myself poorly on what was a traumatic evening, I have always maintained that I did not intend to insult or harm anyone and I am thankful that the jury unanimously agreed."
Football Australia welcomed the verdict and said it would speak with Kerr to "reflect on learnings from this matter".
"We will continue to provide appropriate support for her moving forward," it added.
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<h2>Power and privilege</h2>
During the trial she denied using "whiteness as an insult".
Kerr and Mewis told the court how they felt "dismissed" by Lovell after explaining how they had been "trapped" in the back of the taxi and "held against our will".
Kerr, who is of mixed race, told the jury: "I believed (they) were treating me differently because of what they perceived to be the colour of my skin -- particularly PC Lovell's behaviour."
She added: "I was trying to express that due to the power and privilege they had, they would never have to understand what we had just gone through and the fear we were having for our lives."
Prosecutors originally decided not to charge Kerr, the court heard.
It can now be reported that Kerr's legal team attempted to get the case thrown out at a preliminary hearing, arguing there had been an abuse of process by prosecutors.
Speaking during the hearing on January 14, Forbes said the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) had violated its own guidance, adding that a "loophole" in the victims' right of review scheme was used to justify prosecution proceedings a year after the alleged offence.
During the trial, it was put to Lovell that he only provided a statement alleging that Kerr's comments had caused alarm or harassment after that decision.
In his first statement to prosecutors the officer made no mention of the "stupid and white" comment having an impact on him, the jury was told.
Police submitted a request to review the CPS decision not to prosecute, and it responded that the outcome would be limited to an apology, the court heard.
Prosecutors later requested further evidence and a second statement from Lovell was provided in December 2023, mentioning the alleged impact.
He read a section of the statement to the court, which said the comments made him "shocked, upset, and (left) me feeling humiliated".
The charge was authorised later in December 2023, nearly a year after the incident.
Kerr made her debut for current Women's Super League champions Chelsea in 2020. She is currently out of action with a knee injury.
In November, Kerr and Mewis were subjected to online homophobic abuse after announcing they were expecting a baby.
Chelsea said they had received "unacceptable and hateful homophobic comments" and Chelsea women's coach Sonia Bompastor called the abuse "crazy".
Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sports, Football: A jury at Kingston Crown Court in London cleared the Australia captain Sam Kerr in relation to the incident in southwest London on January 30, 2023.

Chelsea striker Sam Kerr was Tuesday found not guilty of causing racially aggravated harassment after calling a British police officer "stupid and white". A jury at Kingston Crown Court in London cleared the Australia captain in relation to the incident in southwest London on January 30, 2023. Kerr, 31, and her partner, West Ham midfielder Kristie Mewis, had been out drinking when they were driven to Twickenham Police Station by a taxi driver who complained they had refused to pay clean-up costs after one of them vomited, and one of them had smashed the vehicle's rear window. At the police station, Kerr became "abusive and insulting" towards police officer Stephen Lovell, calling him "stupid and white". A jury returned the not guilty verdict after deliberating for more than four hours since Monday. Judge Peter Lodder said after the verdict: "I take the view her own behaviour contributed significantly to the bringing of this allegation." The Australian showed no emotion during the reading of the verdict but gave a thumbs up to her lawyer after the judge had left. "Following today's not guilty verdict, I can finally put this challenging period behind me," Kerr said in a statement. "While I apologise for expressing myself poorly on what was a traumatic evening, I have always maintained that I did not intend to insult or harm anyone and I am thankful that the jury unanimously agreed." Football Australia welcomed the verdict and said it would speak with Kerr to "reflect on learnings from this matter". "We will continue to provide appropriate support for her moving forward," it added. ALSO READ | Champions Trophy 2025: Jasprit Bumrah ruled out due to back injury; Harshit Rana roped in as replacement Power and privilege During the trial she denied using "whiteness as an insult". Kerr and Mewis told the court how they felt "dismissed" by Lovell after explaining how they had been "trapped" in the back of the taxi and "held against our will". Kerr, who is of mixed race, told the jury: "I believed (they) were treating me differently because of what they perceived to be the colour of my skin -- particularly PC Lovell's behaviour." She added: "I was trying to express that due to the power and privilege they had, they would never have to understand what we had just gone through and the fear we were having for our lives." Prosecutors originally decided not to charge Kerr, the court heard. It can now be reported that Kerr's legal team attempted to get the case thrown out at a preliminary hearing, arguing there had been an abuse of process by prosecutors. Speaking during the hearing on January 14, Forbes said the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) had violated its own guidance, adding that a "loophole" in the victims' right of review scheme was used to justify prosecution proceedings a year after the alleged offence. During the trial, it was put to Lovell that he only provided a statement alleging that Kerr's comments had caused alarm or harassment after that decision. In his first statement to prosecutors the officer made no mention of the "stupid and white" comment having an impact on him, the jury was told. Police submitted a request to review the CPS decision not to prosecute, and it responded that the outcome would be limited to an apology, the court heard. Prosecutors later requested further evidence and a second statement from Lovell was provided in December 2023, mentioning the alleged impact. He read a section of the statement to the court, which said the comments made him "shocked, upset, and (left) me feeling humiliated". The charge was authorised later in December 2023, nearly a year after the incident. Kerr made her debut for current Women's Super League champions Chelsea in 2020. She is currently out of action with a knee injury. In November, Kerr and Mewis were subjected to online homophobic abuse after announcing they were expecting a baby. Chelsea said they had received "unacceptable and hateful homophobic comments" and Chelsea women's coach Sonia Bompastor called the abuse "crazy". Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Chelsea star Sam Kerr cleared of racial harassment of police officer

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/chelsea">Chelsea</a> striker <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/sam-kerr">Sam Kerr</a> claimed she was ignored by police officers after telling them a taxi driver left the Australian fearing for her life, a court heard on Tuesday.
Kerr is on trial, charged with causing racially aggravated harassment to police officer Stephen Lovell during an incident in south-west London in the early hours of January 30, 2023.
Lovell first saw Kerr that evening as she crawled through a smashed taxi window outside Twickenham Police Station, Kingston Crown Court was told.
The taxi driver had driven Kerr and her partner, West Ham midfielder Kristie Mewis, to the police station to complain that they had refused to pay clean-up costs after one of them was sick, and that one had smashed the vehicle's rear window.
Kerr said the driver had been "acting in a crazy way" by driving very fast, repeatedly stopping and speeding up again, locking them in the car, and refusing to let them go for about 15 minutes.
A "heated" discussion about the incident ensued between Kerr and the police, during which the 31-year-old allegedly became "abusive and insulting" towards Lovell, calling him "stupid and white".
During questioning by prosecutor Bill Emlyn Jones, Lovell told the jury that Kerr's words had made him feel "belittled and upset".
Kerr, who joined Women's Super League champions Chelsea in 2020, accepts making the comments, but denies that they amount to the charge.
In a police interview the following day, Kerr told the officer in charge that "I shouldn't have been so front-footed".
But she added, "in that moment I was feeling very threatened because of one: How I was being treated, and two: For my life in that car".
"I was in a taxi and I did vomit outside the window, and in that moment onwards the taxi driver became very aggressive and driving very dangerous, and had us both very scared.
"I actually pressed the emergency thing on my phone and spoke to someone and he (the driver) would not return us, drop us off - we wanted to pay whatever it was. He said we weren't going to pay but that is not true at all."
"He literally was so dangerous and so scary and he had us both very afraid."
Kerr said it was "very confronting" to only speak to three male officers despite just being with "a very dangerous man", adding that she "definitely" would have preferred to speak with a woman in that situation.
During her police interview, Kerr claimed she could not recall which officer was Lovell, but said: "We spoke to three officers and honestly I didn't feel very helped."
"We were both very scared, very upset and we didn't feel like we, I guess, were believed, on arrival, and were kind of being - not forced - but told just behave."
Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.
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Football Sports: Kerr is on trial, charged with causing racially aggravated harassment to police officer Stephen Lovell during an incident in south-west London

Chelsea striker Sam Kerr claimed she was ignored by police officers after telling them a taxi driver left the Australian fearing for her life, a court heard on Tuesday. Kerr is on trial, charged with causing racially aggravated harassment to police officer Stephen Lovell during an incident in south-west London in the early hours of January 30, 2023. Lovell first saw Kerr that evening as she crawled through a smashed taxi window outside Twickenham Police Station, Kingston Crown Court was told. The taxi driver had driven Kerr and her partner, West Ham midfielder Kristie Mewis, to the police station to complain that they had refused to pay clean-up costs after one of them was sick, and that one had smashed the vehicle's rear window. Kerr said the driver had been "acting in a crazy way" by driving very fast, repeatedly stopping and speeding up again, locking them in the car, and refusing to let them go for about 15 minutes. A "heated" discussion about the incident ensued between Kerr and the police, during which the 31-year-old allegedly became "abusive and insulting" towards Lovell, calling him "stupid and white". During questioning by prosecutor Bill Emlyn Jones, Lovell told the jury that Kerr's words had made him feel "belittled and upset". Kerr, who joined Women's Super League champions Chelsea in 2020, accepts making the comments, but denies that they amount to the charge. In a police interview the following day, Kerr told the officer in charge that "I shouldn't have been so front-footed". But she added, "in that moment I was feeling very threatened because of one: How I was being treated, and two: For my life in that car". "I was in a taxi and I did vomit outside the window, and in that moment onwards the taxi driver became very aggressive and driving very dangerous, and had us both very scared. "I actually pressed the emergency thing on my phone and spoke to someone and he (the driver) would not return us, drop us off - we wanted to pay whatever it was. He said we weren't going to pay but that is not true at all." "He literally was so dangerous and so scary and he had us both very afraid." Kerr said it was "very confronting" to only speak to three male officers despite just being with "a very dangerous man", adding that she "definitely" would have preferred to speak with a woman in that situation. During her police interview, Kerr claimed she could not recall which officer was Lovell, but said: "We spoke to three officers and honestly I didn't feel very helped." "We were both very scared, very upset and we didn't feel like we, I guess, were believed, on arrival, and were kind of being - not forced - but told just behave." Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Chelsea star Kerr claims police ignored her after 'scary' row with taxi driver

Chelsea forward Sam Kerr has the Women's Super League club's "full support", manager Emma Hayes said on Wednesday (March 6) with the Australia captain set to face trial in the UK having been accused of racially aggravated harassment of a police officer last year.

Chelsea forward Kerr, one of the world's most recognisable women footballers and a sporting idol in her home nation, was charged on Jan. 21, almost a year after the incident was alleged to have occurred.&nbsp;The 30-year-old pleaded not guilty via video link at Kingston Crown Court on Monday (March 4).

"The charge relates to an incident involving a police officer who was responding to a complaint involving a taxi fare on 30 January 2023 in Twickenham," the Metropolitan Police said in a statement.

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Kerr, who on the day before the incident scored a hat-trick against Liverpool in the FA Cup at Kingsmeadow, Chelsea women's home ground, is due to appear in court in February next year.

The club did not comment on Kerr's case at the time, but Hayes said she would be supported by her and "everyone else at Chelsea".

British media reported Kerr's lawyers will attempt to have the charge thrown out in a hearing next month.

Football Australia had been unaware of Kerr's legal trouble, the governing body's CEO James Johnson confirmed on Tuesday.

"We woke up to this this morning," Johnson told reporters in Adelaide.

"Of course, it’s a very serious allegation. It regards racism and there’s no place for racism in our sport.

"At the same time Sam has rights, natural justice rights, procedural rights that she's got to work her way through and we're respectful of that."

Kerr, Australia's all-time top scorer with 69 goals in 128 appearances, has been sidelined since suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury at Chelsea training in January.

She has scored 99 goals in 128 matches for the London side, winning the league four times, the FA Cup three times and the League Cup twice.

Chelsea forward Sam Kerr has the Women's Super League club's "full support", manager Emma Hayes said on Wednesday (March 6) with the Australia captain set to face trial in the UK having been accused of racially aggravated harassment of a police officer last year.

Chelsea forward Sam Kerr has the Women's Super League club's "full support", manager Emma Hayes said on Wednesday (March 6) with the Australia captain set to face trial in the UK having been accused of racially aggravated harassment of a police officer last year. Chelsea forward Kerr, one of the world's most recognisable women footballers and a sporting idol in her home nation, was charged on Jan. 21, almost a year after the incident was alleged to have occurred. The 30-year-old pleaded not guilty via video link at Kingston Crown Court on Monday (March 4). "The charge relates to an incident involving a police officer who was responding to a complaint involving a taxi fare on 30 January 2023 in Twickenham," the Metropolitan Police said in a statement. Also Read: Lionel Messi’s first Barcelona contract napkin to be sold in online auction Kerr, who on the day before the incident scored a hat-trick against Liverpool in the FA Cup at Kingsmeadow, Chelsea women's home ground, is due to appear in court in February next year. The club did not comment on Kerr's case at the time, but Hayes said she would be supported by her and "everyone else at Chelsea". British media reported Kerr's lawyers will attempt to have the charge thrown out in a hearing next month. Football Australia had been unaware of Kerr's legal trouble, the governing body's CEO James Johnson confirmed on Tuesday. "We woke up to this this morning," Johnson told reporters in Adelaide. "Of course, it’s a very serious allegation. It regards racism and there’s no place for racism in our sport. "At the same time Sam has rights, natural justice rights, procedural rights that she's got to work her way through and we're respectful of that." Kerr, Australia's all-time top scorer with 69 goals in 128 appearances, has been sidelined since suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury at Chelsea training in January. She has scored 99 goals in 128 matches for the London side, winning the league four times, the FA Cup three times and the League Cup twice.

Sam Kerr has 'our full support', says Chelsea boss after police charge forward with racism allegation

Australia captain Sam Kerr will face trial in the UK accused of the racially aggravated harassment of a police officer in London over a year ago.

Chelsea forward Kerr, one of the world's most recognisable women footballers and a sporting idol in her home nation, was charged on Jan. 21, almost a year after the incident was alleged to have occurred.

"The charge relates to an incident involving a police officer who was responding to a complaint involving a taxi fare on 30 January 2023 in Twickenham," the Metropolitan Police said in a statement.

Kerr, who on the day before the incident scored a hat-trick against Liverpool in the FA Cup at Kingsmeadow, Chelsea women's home ground, is due to appear in court in February next year.

The 30-year-old pleaded not guilty via video link at Kingston Crown Court on Monday, British media reported.

Kerr's agent declined to comment when contacted by Reuters.

Chelsea did not immediately reply to an emailed request for comment.

Football Australia had been unaware of Kerr's legal trouble, the governing body's CEO James Johnson confirmed on Tuesday.

"We woke up to this this morning," Johnson told reporters in Adelaide.

"Of course, it’s a very serious allegation. It regards racism and there’s no place for racism in our sport.

"At the same time Sam has rights, natural justice rights, procedural rights that she's got to work her way through and we're respectful of that."

The news overshadowed FA's announcement of the national women's team's farewell matches against China in Adelaide on May 31 and in Sydney on June 3 before their campaign to win a first Olympic medal at the Paris Games.

Johnson said FA were seeking more information about the incident.

"I haven't spoken to Sam other than a text message just to check in on her wellbeing at the moment because she is an employee of ours and also a player," he added.

Kerr, Australia's all-time top scorer with 69 goals in 128 appearances, has been sidelined since January after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury during training with Chelsea.

Revered by Australian soccer fans, Kerr's global celebrity helped bring the women's game into the mainstream and drive a major hike in corporate sponsorship for the national Matildas team, who reached the Women's World Cup semi-finals on home soil last year.

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Kerr is also a magnet for global brands in her own right, having signed deals with Nike, Mastercard and a major Australian bank.

She became the first woman on the cover of EA Sports' FIFA, the world's most popular soccer video game, before it was discontinued last year.

Last May, she led the Australian delegation as flag-bearer at King Charles's coronation at Westminster Abbey.

The poster-girl for the Women's World Cup co-hosted with New Zealand, Kerr battled a calf injury that ruled her out of much of the action but returned later in the tournament and scored a wonder goal in the semi-final against England.

Australia captain Sam Kerr will face trial in the UK accused of the racially aggravated harassment of a police officer in London over a year ago. Chelsea forward Kerr, one of the world's most recognisable women footballers and a sporting idol in her home nation, was charged on Jan.

Australia captain Sam Kerr will face trial in the UK accused of the racially aggravated harassment of a police officer in London over a year ago. Chelsea forward Kerr, one of the world's most recognisable women footballers and a sporting idol in her home nation, was charged on Jan. 21, almost a year after the incident was alleged to have occurred. "The charge relates to an incident involving a police officer who was responding to a complaint involving a taxi fare on 30 January 2023 in Twickenham," the Metropolitan Police said in a statement. Kerr, who on the day before the incident scored a hat-trick against Liverpool in the FA Cup at Kingsmeadow, Chelsea women's home ground, is due to appear in court in February next year. The 30-year-old pleaded not guilty via video link at Kingston Crown Court on Monday, British media reported. Kerr's agent declined to comment when contacted by Reuters. Chelsea did not immediately reply to an emailed request for comment. Football Australia had been unaware of Kerr's legal trouble, the governing body's CEO James Johnson confirmed on Tuesday. "We woke up to this this morning," Johnson told reporters in Adelaide. "Of course, it’s a very serious allegation. It regards racism and there’s no place for racism in our sport. "At the same time Sam has rights, natural justice rights, procedural rights that she's got to work her way through and we're respectful of that." The news overshadowed FA's announcement of the national women's team's farewell matches against China in Adelaide on May 31 and in Sydney on June 3 before their campaign to win a first Olympic medal at the Paris Games. Johnson said FA were seeking more information about the incident. "I haven't spoken to Sam other than a text message just to check in on her wellbeing at the moment because she is an employee of ours and also a player," he added. Kerr, Australia's all-time top scorer with 69 goals in 128 appearances, has been sidelined since January after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury during training with Chelsea. Revered by Australian soccer fans, Kerr's global celebrity helped bring the women's game into the mainstream and drive a major hike in corporate sponsorship for the national Matildas team, who reached the Women's World Cup semi-finals on home soil last year. ALSO READ | Sri Lanka selectors bank on recalled wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella's 'experience' in upcoming T20 World Cup Kerr is also a magnet for global brands in her own right, having signed deals with Nike, Mastercard and a major Australian bank. She became the first woman on the cover of EA Sports' FIFA, the world's most popular soccer video game, before it was discontinued last year. Last May, she led the Australian delegation as flag-bearer at King Charles's coronation at Westminster Abbey. The poster-girl for the Women's World Cup co-hosted with New Zealand, Kerr battled a calf injury that ruled her out of much of the action but returned later in the tournament and scored a wonder goal in the semi-final against England.

Football: Aussie women team captain Sam Kerr to stand trial over alleged racial harassment of police officer

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Chelsea star Sam Kerr cleared of racial harassment of police officer

Chelsea star Kerr claims police ignored her after 'scary' row with taxi driver

Sam Kerr has 'our full support', says Chelsea boss after police charge forward with racism allegation

Football: Aussie women team captain Sam Kerr to stand trial over alleged racial harassment of police officer