Australian soccer star Sam Kerr has been found not guilty by a British jury over allegations she racially abused a police officer during a night out in 2023.
As the judgment was read out Kerr placed her head in her hands, before turning to the dock officer and saying, “I hope to never see you again”.
The Western Australian raised soccer star had been accused of racially abusing PC Stephen Lovell, calling him “stupid and white” during an incident in south-west London on January 30, 2023.
Kerr’s trial took place over the last week, and she had a nervous overnight wait after the jury needed more time to consider their verdict.
The Matildas captain and her partner Kristie Mewis, who is also a top player, had been out on a night drinking when the taxi they were travelling in was driven to a police station. The driver reportedly decided to take them to the station after one half of the couple allegedly threw up in the back of the cab and refused to pay cleaning costs.
In the subsequent discussion at the station Kerr called PC Lovell “f****** stupid and white.” During the trial, Kerr admitted to using the words but denied they were racially motivated.
Initially the officer did not include that he had been hurt by the comments in his report, but it was updated later at the request of prosecutors. Britian’s Crown Prosecution Service have been criticised for bringing the case to trial at a time when there is a significant backlog on far more serious cases.
During the trial Kerr spoke about how she became concerned about the taxi drivers change of direction and thought that there was a possibility that she and her partner were being abducted.
She also spoke about how growing up in Perth at the time of the Claremont serial killer had made her wary of taxi drivers, as for many years it was suspected that a taxi driver may have been responsible for the abduction and murder of three women.
