Chelsea striker, Sam Kerr, has been acquitted of racially aggravated harassment after referring to a Metropolitan Police officer as “stupid and white.”
A jury at Kingston Crown Court found her not guilty of the accusation stemming from an incident in Twickenham, south-west London, on 30 January 2023.
Kerr, 31, told the court she felt “antagonised” by officers after a dispute with a taxi driver led to her being taken to a police station.
Although she admitted to using the words “stupid and white” towards PC Stephen Lovell, she denied it amounted to a racial offence.
Following the verdict, Kerr gave a thumbs-up to her legal team and left the courtroom with her fiancée, Kristie Mewis.
The couple had been out drinking on the night of the incident when a disagreement arose with a taxi driver, who claimed they refused to pay for cleaning costs after one of them was sick in the vehicle.
He further alleged that one of them smashed the car’s rear window and drove them to Twickenham Police Station.
Judge Peter Lodder KC noted that Kerr’s own conduct played a significant role in the case being brought against her.
“I take the view her own behaviour contributed significantly to the bringing of this allegation. I don’t go behind the jury’s verdict but that has a significant bearing on the question of costs,” he stated.
During her testimony, Kerr expressed regret over her choice of words but maintained that her message was still relevant.
“I believed it was him using his power and privilege over me because he was accusing me of being something I’m not,” she explained. “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.”
It can now be revealed that Kerr’s legal team had earlier sought to have the case dismissed on grounds of abuse of process by the Crown Prosecution Service.
Her lawyer, Grace Forbes, argued that the CPS violated its own guidelines and exploited a loophole in the victims’ right of review scheme, which enabled them to proceed with the prosecution nearly a year after the alleged incident.
The court heard that PC Lovell’s initial statement to the CPS did not mention being affected by Kerr’s comment.
However, a second statement provided in December 2023 claimed that the remarks left him “shocked, upset, and humiliated.” The charge was authorised shortly after this statement.
Kerr’s fiancée, Kristie Mewis, was present in court when the jury returned its verdict, holding Kerr’s hand as they listened to the decision.
