February 4 – Chelsea striker Sam Kerr, widely considered to be one of the top women players in the world, is currently on trial at Kingston Crown Court charged with causing racially aggravated harassment to PC Stephen Lovell in the early hours of 30 January 2023.
A jury has been told that the Australian international called the Metropolitan Police officer “stupid and white” during an incident at a police station in south-west London.
After a night out with her partner and fellow footballer Kristie Mewis, they were driven to Twickenham police station by a taxi driver who complained that the passengers refused to pay clean-up costs after one of them was sick, and that one of them had smashed the vehicle’s rear window.
Ms Kerr, 31, denies any wrongdoing.
While at the police station, Ms Kerr is alleged to have become “abusive and insulting” towards PC Lovell. The jury were played footage of the PC’s body camera showing Ms Kerr using an expletive while telling the officer he was “stupid and white”.
Prosecution barrister Bill Emlyn Jones KC told the jury the comments left PC Lovell “shocked, upset, and humiliated”.
Defending Ms Kerr, Grace Forbes, said: “Nobody disputes the words that were said.
“But simple words, even words like these, do not make you guilty of a criminal offence.”
“The words were a comment, however poorly expressed, about positions of power, about privilege, and how those things might colour perception.”
Chelsea have yet to comment.
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