Chelsea star Sam Kerr cleared of racially harassing Met officer

Chelsea striker Sam Kerr has been discovered not responsible of inflicting racially aggravated harassment, after calling a Metropolitan Police officer “silly and white”.

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

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

The Australian worldwide, who made the feedback to PC Stephen Lovell, didn’t deny utilizing the phrases “silly and white” however denied it amounted to a racial offence.

Ms Kerr gave a thumbs-up to her authorized crew earlier than leaving the courtroom along with her fiancée Kristie Mewis.

Ms Kerr and Ms Mewis, had been out consuming once they had been pushed to Twickenham Police Station by a taxi driver who complained that that they had refused to pay clean-up prices after one in every of them was sick and that one in every of them had smashed the automobile’s rear window.

Decide Peter Lodder KC mentioned: “I take the view her personal behaviour contributed considerably to the bringing of this allegation.

“I do not go behind the jury’s verdict however that has a big bearing on the query of prices.”

Throughout the trial, Ms Kerr mentioned she regretted the best way she expressed herself however added: “I really feel the message was nonetheless related”.

She denied utilizing whiteness as an insult and claimed: “I believed it was him utilizing his energy and privilege over me as a result of he was accusing me of being one thing I am not.

“I used to be attempting to precise that because of the energy and privilege that they had, they might by no means have to grasp what we had simply gone by means of and the worry we had been having for our lives.”