Chelsea footballer Sam Kerr told Kingston Crown Court today she believes police treated her differently “because of what they perceived to be the colour of my skin” during an incident at Twickenham police station.
The Australia international is on trial for allegedly causing racially aggravated harassment towards PC Stephen Lovell by calling him “stupid and white” following events in January 2023.
Kerr specifically pointed to PC Lovell’s behaviour, telling the court: “The way he was accusing me of lying, and later arresting me for criminal damage even though Kristie said it was just her.”
The footballer said she regretted how she expressed herself but added: “I feel the message was still relevant”.
Sam Kerr is on trial for allegedly causing racially aggravated harassment
PA
The incident began when Kerr and her partner, West Ham midfielder Kristie Mewis, were in a taxi following a night out on 30 January 2023.
Kerr testified she had put her head out of the window feeling sick before the driver closed it and began driving “dangerously”.
“He accelerated and began to swerve in and out of lanes… we were getting thrown around,” Kerr told the court.
The footballer said she was “terrified for my life” as the doors remained locked while they “begged” to be let out.
The situation ended when Mewis kicked out the rear window with her boot, which Kerr said left her feeling “relieved”.
The driver subsequently took them to Twickenham police station.
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Kerr told the court she identifies as “white anglo-Indian”, with her mother from Australia and father from India.
She testified to experiencing racism from an early age, first encountering it when she was nine or ten years old.
The Chelsea striker described ongoing experiences of being “treated differently” because of her skin colour, including on social media.
She told jurors that in shopping centres, “if I am not dressed correctly I have often been followed round by a security guard”.
Sam Kerr has been at Chelsea for five years
PA
Kerr also spoke of witnessing her father and brother, who are of Indian descent, being treated differently due to their skin colour.
During the confrontation at the station, Kerr challenged PC Lovell’s response to her fears about the taxi incident.
When PC Lovell asked “Do you think a taxi driver, who is going to rape and kill you, would take you to a police station?”, Kerr responded by calling him “sick”.
She explained to the court: “I thought he was making light of what had happened to us. I thought it was an antagonising comment”.
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Sam Kerr told the court she identifies as “white anglo-Indian”
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Regarding her comment about “white privilege”, Kerr testified: “It was clear to me that he had no idea about the power and privilege he had in that moment or in life … he’s never had to think about what could happen to you as a female.”
The trial at Kingston Crown Court continues, with Kerr facing charges of racially aggravated harassment.
Kerr, who moved to the UK from Australia in December 2019 after signing with Chelsea, told the court she and Mewis are expecting significant life changes.
The couple are due to get married in December and are expecting a baby boy in May.
The footballer also referenced her background in Perth, Australia, telling the court: “I lived in a state where for 30 years there was a serial killer that was thought to have been a taxi driver.”