Chelsea striker Sam Kerr is currently facing trial at Kingston Crown Court for charges of racially aggravated harassment. The incident in question took place on January 30, 2023, in south-west London, where Kerr allegedly used racially charged language towards a police officer. The situation escalated after a dispute with a taxi driver over unpaid clean-up costs.
Kerr and her partner, West Ham midfielder Kristie Mewis, were reportedly driven to Twickenham Police Station by a taxi driver who claimed they had not compensated him for cleaning expenses after one of them fell ill in his vehicle. During the altercation, the taxi's rear window was smashed. Mewis later admitted that she was responsible for the damage. At the police station, tensions rose between Kerr and PC Stephen Lovell, leading to a heated exchange.
According to reports, Kerr became "abusive and insulting" towards PC Lovell, calling him "stupid and white." Kerr, however, has denied using "whiteness as an insult," asserting that her comments were not intended to suggest any racial inferiority. She claimed that PC Lovell's actions were motivated by her skin color and that he was treating her differently because of it. Kerr explained that she felt Lovell was leveraging his authority and privilege unjustly against her.
"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." – Sam Kerr
Kerr further stated her belief that the treatment she received at the hands of police was influenced by their perception of her racial identity.
"I believed they were treating me differently because of what they perceived to be the colour of my skin – particularly PC Lovell's behaviour." – Sam Kerr
The situation escalated when Kerr accused PC Lovell of accusing her of lying, which led to her arrest for criminal damage. The ongoing trial seeks to determine whether Kerr's comments constituted racially aggravated harassment.
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