https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/feb/11/sam-kerr-found-not-guilty-of-ra...Sam Kerr has been found not guilty of racially aggravated harassment after calling a police officer
“smacking stupid and white” after he doubted her claims of being “held hostage” in a taxi.
Kerr showed no emotion during the reading of the verdict, which the jury delivered after a little over four hours of deliberation, but gave a thumbs up to her barrister Grace Forbes.
Afterwards, she issued a statement saying said she was “thankful” for the verdict and “can finally put this challenging period behind” her.
Jury deliberates in trial of Chelsea soccer player Samantha Kerr<br>epa11887758 Chelsea soccer player Sam Kerr arrives for her trial at Kingston Crown court in southwest London, Britain, 11 February 2025. The jury is out to consider verdict on Chelsea striker and Australian captain Kerr’s trial over allegations of the racially aggravated harassment of a London police officer after a late-night taxi dispute in 2023. EPA/TOLGA AKMEN
Sam Kerr trial: how a drunken night out revealed questions of race, power and privilege
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The captain of the Australian women’s football team and Chelsea’s star striker had faced up to a maximum sentence of two years in prison.
The verdict is likely to spark debate about free speech and race, especially in the UK where there has been a recent spate of high-profile cases involving people of colour being charged with racially aggravated offences.
Judge Peter Lodder KC said after the verdict: “I take the view her own behaviour contributed significantly to the bringing of this allegation.
“I don’t go behind the jury’s verdict but that has a significant bearing on the question of costs.”
However, Kerr’s lawyers said after the verdict that she would not be pursuing any costs.
In her statement, Kerr said: “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 would like to thank my partner Kristie, my family, friends and all the fans for their love and support, especially those who attended court each day.”
In a six-day trial, Kingston crown court heard that Kerr had called a Metropolitan police officer “smacking stupid and white” after he doubted her account of being “held hostage” in a locked taxi that was speeding and swerving.
During the trial it was revealed that the Crown Prosecution Service, the body which has the final say on whether a criminal prosecution can go ahead in England and Wales, initially decided against charging Kerr as the evidence did not meet the required threshold.
The CPS decided to charge her with racially aggravated intentional harassment after a second statement was provided by the officer involved, PC Stephen Lovell.
His second statement had been submitted in December 2023, 11 months after the incident. In it, he said her comments had left him “shocked, upset and humiliated”. His initial statement made no mention of how Kerr’s words affected him.
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