Chelsea star Sam Kerr cleared of racially harassing Met officer

Chelsea striker Sam Kerr has been found not guilty after being accused of making racist remarks towards a London police officer in a January 2023 incident, allegedly calling him a "stupid white cop." A jury at Kingston Crown Court acquitted Kerr in connection with the incident that occurred on January 30, 2023, in Twickenham, southwest London.

Kerr, 31, stated that she was treated "antagonistically" by officers after being taken to the police station by a taxi driver following a dispute. The Australian international admitted to saying "stupid white cop" to Officer Stephen Lovell but denied it constituted racial abuse. The jury returned a not guilty verdict for Kerr after deliberating for four hours.

As Kerr left the court, she gave a thumbs-up to her legal team, with her fiancée, West Ham midfielder Kristie Mewis, also present. In a statement following the verdict, Kerr thanked her supporters, family, and friends, and stated that she can now "finally put this challenging period behind me." This support has been invaluable during the legal proceedings.

In her statement, Kerr said, "While I am relieved I have apologized for the language I used in the heat of the moment on a traumatic night, I have always maintained I am not a racist, and I am glad the jury agreed with me." She added, "Now that the case is over, I need to get back to playing, and look forward to exciting times ahead for both me and my family." Football Australia, the governing body for soccer in Australia, issued a statement acknowledging the verdict and stating that it was "steadfastly committed" to supporting Kerr throughout the process.

During the trial, it was revealed that Kerr and Mewis had been out drinking on the night in question and were subsequently taken to Twickenham Police Station by a taxi driver after he complained that they refused to pay a cleaning fee, alleging one of them vomited and one smashed the vehicle's rear window. Following the trial, Judge Peter Lodder KC said, "I think her own behavior contributed substantially to the fact that she was ever charged. I don’t interfere with the jury’s verdict, but it has a significant impact on the question of costs."

During the trial, Kerr stated that she regretted her choice of words but added, "I still feel the message was relevant." She denied using the term white as an insult and claimed, "I think he was using his power and his privilege to try and shut me up because he accused me of something I didn’t do. What I was trying to articulate was that because of the power and privilege they hold, they never have to understand what we just went through and the fear we had for our lives."

It can now be reported that Kerr's legal team had attempted to have the case dismissed at an early hearing, arguing that the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) had abused the process. Kerr's lawyer, Grace Forbes, stated that the CPS had breached its own guidelines, adding that a "loophole" in the Victims' Right to Review scheme had been used to justify proceedings being initiated a year after the alleged offense.

During the trial, the defense pointed out that Officer Lovell only provided a statement claiming Kerr's words caused him "alarm or distress" after a decision had been made to charge her. The jury heard that in the officer's initial statement to the CPS, he made no mention of the "stupid white cop" comment having any impact on him. Officer Lovell provided a second statement in December 2023, referring to the alleged impact. He read part of the statement to the court, saying the comments left him feeling "shocked, upset, and (feeling) belittled." The charge was authorized in December 2023, nearly a year after the incident.

Football Australia said in its statement that it also acknowledged the "stress" the matter had placed on "all parties involved." "Football Australia will continue to support Sam, and reflect on the learnings from this matter… We are looking forward to Sam returning to the pitch, and continuing to contribute to both her club and country," the statement added. The organization aims to provide ongoing support and guidance to Kerr as she resumes her career.