Chelsea striker Sam Kerr ‘racially abused officer in drunken rage’

Chelsea and Matildas ace Sam Kerr called a police officer ‘f***ing stupid and white’ in a drunken rage after crawling out of a broken taxi window, a court heard.

The 31-year-old Australian striker ranted at the police officer after the cabbie had called the police as Kerr refused to pay for the damage to the window on January 30, 2023.

She was on a night out with her partner, American international midfielder Kristie Mewis and asked to be taken to Kerr’s flat in Richmond, southwest London.

Jurors heard Kerr was sick in the cab and the driver headed to Twickenham Police Station after they allegedly refused to pay for the damage.

PC Stephen Lovell and PC Samuel Limb were driving towards Twickenham Police Station when they were alerted to the taxi by the driver at 2:20am.

They saw glass on the road as they were driving while Kerr crawled out of the rear window, Kingston Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Bill Emlyn-Jones said: ‘On 29 January 2023, the defendant and her partner had been for a night out.

‘Come the end of the evening, in the small hours of the next day, they hailed a black cab and headed home.

‘The cab journey was not a success.

‘The cabbie ended up phoning the police to complain about their behaviour, saying they were trying to break a window.

‘Instead of taking them to Ms Kerr’s home, instead he drove them to Twickenham police station.

‘Inside the police station – and you will see a video-recording of this – the defendant was upset and angry about what had happened and about how the police were handling the situation.

‘In the course of her interaction with a police officer, PC Stephen Lovell, the defendant became abusive and insulting and specifically insulted him by reference to his ethnicity.

‘That is what the defendant, Sam Kerr, now stands trial for, an offence of racial aggravated intentional harassment, alarm or distress.

‘Her words and actions were recorded on a camera worn by PC Lovell on the front of his police uniform, with contemporaneous recordings of the incident from the cameras of other officers also present.

‘For this reason, there is no dispute as to exactly what Ms Kerr said, there can’t be, it’s on film,’

Mr Emlyn-Jones described Kerr’s footballing prowess, including her status as Chelsea captain and Australian international, saying: ‘In fact she is a fantastic football player.’

He said: ’The officers saw Ms Kerr crawling out of the broken rear window of the taxi, she approached the police car, as did Mr Mewis. Both of them were in a distressed state.

‘They felt the taxi driver was kidnapping them and so they broke the rear window in order to escape and raise the alarm.’

Upon inspection, the rear window was smashed, as was the plastic divider separating the driver from passengers and there was also sick in the back.

The taxi driver wanted the damage and cleaning to paid for, they refused.

‘Ms Kerr became verbally abusive towards PC Lovell,’ added Mr Emlyn-Jones.

‘The defendant used her mobile telephone to show PC Lovell the contents of her bank account as if to say that she could easily afford to pay for any damages to the taxi if she wanted to.

‘PC Lovell felt that Ms Kerr was showing off her wealth.’

Kerr claimed the two called the police earlier too but then hung up, when PC Lovell told them they should have remained on the line, Kerr interrupted him and said: ‘You guys are stupid and white’, ’you guys are f***ing stupid and white.

‘Honestly you guys are f***ing stupid and white’ ‘I am looking you in the eyes, I am looking you in the eyes, you guys are f***ing stupid, I’m f***king over this s**t.’

Kerr was then arrested for criminal damage and racially aggravated public order.

She was quickly de-arrested for criminal damage when she and her partner agreed they would pay for the damage.

Officers described the pair as ‘intoxicated’ and ’inebriated, very agitated and emotional’.

The comments left PC Lovell feeling ‘shocked, upset and humiliated’, the court heard.

‘He took great offence to the comments Ms Kerr made about his race,’ Mr Emlyn-Jones said.

‘You may think that him being a white man really had nothing to do with anything.’

Kerr attended Kingston Police Station voluntarily the following day to be interviewed without a lawyer.

‘Ms Kerr said she definitely did not recall calling any of the police officers f***ing stupid and white.

‘She said she had been intoxicated and also that she felt scared and threatened.

‘She said: ‘I was just very angry at how I felt.’

She denied she intended to use PC Lovell harassment, alarm or distress and that if he was caused harassment, alarm or distress the offence was not racially aggravated.

‘The prosecution’s case is that the use of her words was clearly intended to cause harassment, alarm or distress,’ said Mr Emlyn-Jones.

‘Ms Kerr’s persistent references to the officer’s skin amount to a demonstration by her of hostility towards him based on his membership of a racial group, that is white people.

‘It is her behaviour and her intention in the hear of the moment that matters.

‘The fact that Ms Kerr is a well-known and respected figure in the world of sport, that does not excuse her behaviour or provide her with any sort of defence to this charge.’

Kerr has scored 99 goals in 128 Chelsea matches since joining in 2019.

She is all-time leading scorer for her country, with 69 goals in 128 games for the Matildas.

If convicted, FIFA poster girl Kerr faces a maximum sentence of two years’ imprisonment.

Kerr, of Richmond, denies she intended to cause alarm, harassment or distress to the police officer and insists her behaviour was not racially motivated.

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