Chelsea striker and Australia captain Sam Kerr told a court on Wednesday that she was treated differently by police “because of the colour of my skin” after a distressing encounter with a taxi driver, during which she feared for her life.
Kerr, 31, is on trial for allegedly causing racially aggravated harassment to police officer Stephen Lovell following an incident in south-west London on January 30, 2023. Kerr and her partner, West Ham midfielder Kristie Mewis, had been out drinking when their taxi driver reported them to police, claiming they refused to pay clean-up costs after one of them was sick and that a rear window had been smashed.
While the court heard allegations that Kerr had been “abusive and insulting,” reportedly calling the officer “stupid and white,” she strongly denied the charges, stating:
“I believed officers were treating me differently because of what they perceived to be the colour of my skin—particularly PC Lovell’s behaviour. The way he was accusing me of lying, and later arresting me for criminal damage even though Kristie admitted it was her who smashed the window, made me feel targeted.”
Kerr described the frightening taxi ride, claiming the driver “drove dangerously” for 15 to 20 minutes after she felt ill.
“I was terrified for my life. Kristie was crying and scared—I’ve never seen her like that before. We tried to open the doors and windows, but they were locked. Kristie eventually kicked out the window, which felt like a relief, but we couldn’t get out immediately because the car was still moving.”
Kerr, who joined Chelsea in 2020 and is currently sidelined with a knee injury, continues to deny the charges as the trial proceeds.
