Chelsea Star Sam Kerr Cleared of Racial Harassment



Chelsea striker Sam Kerr has been found not guilty of causing racially aggravated harassment, after calling a Metropolitan Police officer "stupid and white".

A jury at Kingston Crown Court cleared her in relation to an incident in Twickenham, south-west London, on 30 January 2023.

Ms Kerr, 31, said she was "antagonised" by officers after she was taken to a police station by a taxi driver following a dispute.

The Australian international, who made the comments to PC Stephen Lovell, did not deny using the words "stupid and white" but denied it amounted to a racial offence.

Ms Kerr gave a thumbs-up to her legal team before leaving the courtroom with her fiancée Kristie Mewis.

Ms Kerr and Ms Mewis, had been out drinking when they were driven to Twickenham Police Station by a taxi driver who complained that they had refused to pay clean-up costs after one of them was sick and that one of them had smashed the vehicle's rear window.

Judge Peter Lodder KC said: "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."

During the trial, Ms Kerr said she regretted the way she expressed herself but added: "I feel the message was still relevant".

She denied using whiteness as an insult and claimed: "I believed it was him using his power and privilege over me because he was accusing me of being something I'm not.

"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."

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