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Sam Kerr Acquitted of Racial Harassment Charges
Chelsea footballer Sam Kerr has been found not guilty of racially aggravated harassment after allegedly calling a police officer “stupid and white.”
The incident occurred in southwest London in the early hours of January 30, 2023. According to court proceedings, Kerr and her partner, West Ham midfielder Kristie Mewis, had been out drinking when a taxi driver took them to a local police station. The driver had accused them of refusing to cover clean-up costs after one of them was sick and claimed that one of them had broken the rear window of the vehicle.
At the station, Kerr was accused of verbally insulting PC Stephen Lovell. However, during the trial, she denied that her remarks were racially motivated, asserting that she had not implied that the officer was "stupid because he was white."
Kerr testified that she and her partner felt "trapped" in the taxi, leading to Mewis breaking the rear window in an attempt to escape. She also expressed concerns for her safety, claiming that she believed the police officers were treating her unfairly due to their perceived power and privilege.
Judge Peter Lodder KC acknowledged that Kerr's behavior played a role in the situation but emphasized that the jury’s verdict must be respected. While Kerr regretted the way she had expressed herself, she maintained that her message was still relevant.
During the trial, it was revealed that tensions escalated at the police station, leading to a heated exchange between Kerr, her partner, and PC Lovell. Kerr stated that she felt unfairly targeted and insisted that her comments were not meant as a racial insult but rather as an expression of frustration over perceived mistreatment.
Ultimately, the jury acquitted Kerr of the charge, concluding that her words did not meet the legal threshold for racially aggravated harassment.