Sam Kerr Found Not Guilty Of Racially Aggravated Harassment In London

Chelsea and Australia striker Sam Kerr has been acquitted of racially aggravated harassment of a police officer in London. The 31-year-old, who is one of the world’s top strikers and plays for Chelsea in the Women’s Super League, was on trial for allegedly abusing PC Stephen Lovell in southwest London on Jan. 30, 2023.

The incident occurred after Kerr and her partner, United States midfielder Kristie Mewis, were driven to Twickenham Police Station by a taxi driver who alleged that they had refused to pay clean-up costs after one of them was sick and that one of them smashed the vehicle’s rear window. Kerr, who has Indian ancestry, called Lovell “stupid and white” during the incident.

Kerr accepted saying those words but denied one count of racially aggravated harassment. Her lawyer argued that Kerr was making a comment about power and privilege, and Kerr testified that she felt police treated her differently because of the colour of her skin.

Following a trial at Kingston Crown Court, a jury found Kerr not guilty. In a statement after the verdict, Kerr said, “Following today’s not guilty verdict, I can finally put this challenging period behind me. While I apologise for expressing myself poorly on what was a traumatic evening, I have always maintained that I did not intend to insult or harm anyone and I am thankful that the jury unanimously agreed. I am fully focused on getting back on to the pitch and look forward to an exciting year ahead for me and my family.”

During the trial, Kerr and Mewis said they believed they were being held hostage by the taxi driver, with Mewis kicking in the cab’s rear window in a bid to escape shortly before they arrived at the police station. Kerr testified that she had felt “terrified for my life” during the cab journey and that police did not take her concerns seriously.

The trial has been closely followed by the media in Australia, with Kerr’s position as captain of the Matildas, the national women’s soccer team, being called into question by critics. James Johnson, head of Australia’s Football Association, declined to comment on how Kerr’s return to the national team will be handled, stating, “We understand that there will be some disappointment out there [from fans], but what we would ask is that we all wait out. What we need to do is give Sam the opportunity to go through the trial. Once we complete the trial, then we’ll have a holistic view of what’s happened.”

Kerr, who is the captain and all-time leading scorer for Australia with 69 goals since her debut in 2009, hasn’t played since sustaining an ACL injury during a warm-weather training camp with Chelsea in Morocco in January 2024. She is expected to return in the coming weeks, in time to play for Australia in a pair of international friendlies against South Korea in April in the lead-up to the 2026 AFC Asian Cup.