Chelsea and Australia striker Sam Kerr has been declared not guilty of racially aggravated harassment of a police officer in London.
Kerr, 31, was in trial for the alleged abuse of PC Stephen Lovell in southwest London in the early hours of January 30, 2023.
The incident occurred after being taken to the Twickenham Police Station together with his partner, the United States midfielder, Kristie Mewis, by a taxi driver who alleged that they had refused to pay the cleaning costs after one of They were sick and that one of them broke the rear window of the vehicle.
Kerr, who has Indian ancestry, called Lovel “stupid and white” after the police was called after the drunk dispute with a taxi driver.
The 31 -year -old, who is one of the best strikers in the world and plays for Chelsea in the Super League female, agreed to say those words, but denied a position of racially aggravated harassment.
His lawyer argued that Kerr was commenting on power and privilege, and Kerr gave evidence last week that he felt that the police treated her differently due to the color of her skin.
Kerr was acquitted by a jury after a trial at Kingston Crown Court. He showed no emotion at the dock when the verdict was delivered.
She gave her lawyer a thumb, Grace Forbes, before leaving the dock.
Forbes said he would request costs, to which Judge Peter Lodder said: “I suppose that his own behavior contributed significantly to the presentation of this accusation … that he has a significant relationship in the issue of costs.”
Kerr's trial focused on the consequences of a night that ended with Kerr and Mewis, who play for West Ham United, hosting a black taxi from London to Kerr's house.
The driver took them to a police station, with Kerr giving evidence that the driver began to behave erratically after he felt ill and spit out the window.
Both Kerr and Mewis said they believed they were retained as hostages, with Mewis kicking the rear taxi window in an attempt to escape shortly before reaching the police station.
Towards the end of a long conversation between Kerr, Mewis, Lovell and two other officers, Kerr said: “You are stupid and white.”
Lovell gave evidence that he was upset by the comment and denied an accusation of Forbes that he had claimed to be annoying simply to ensure a criminal office.
Kerr said he had felt “terrified by my life” during the taxi trip and that the police did not take their concerns seriously.
His judgment has been the main news in Australia, with each day in the court completely dissected by the national media.
The debate about the position has varied from the validity of the accusation to Kerr's conduct while interviewed by the police.
His position as Captain of Matildas, the very dear national women's football team, has been questioned by critics.
Kerr is the captain and leader of all time for Australia, with 69 goals since his debut in 2009.
James Johnson, head of the Australian Football Association, last week refused to comment on how Kerr's return to the national team will be handled.
“We understand that there will be some disappointment out there [from fans]But what we would ask is that we all expect, “Johnson said.” What we must do is give Sam the opportunity to go through the trial.
“Once we complete the trial, we will have a holistic vision of what happened.”
Kerr has not played since he suffered an ACL injury during a warm weather training camp with Chelsea in Morocco in January 2024.
It is expected to return in the coming weeks, on time to play for Australia in a couple of international friendlies against South Korea in April in the period prior to the AFC 2026 Asian Cup.
Reuters and Associated Press information contributed to this report.
