The partner of Chelsea striker Sam Kerr accused police of “gaslighting” after a “very scary” incident in which the pair claim they were taken “hostage” by a taxi driver.
West Ham midfielder Kristie Mewis, 33, gave evidence at Kingston Crown Court on Thursday where Kerr is on trial for causing racially aggravated harassment to Pc Stephen Lovell during an incident in south-west London in the early hours of January 30 2023.
Chelsea striker Sam Kerr arrives at Kingston Crown Court where she is charged with alleged racially aggravated harassment of a police officer (Andrew Matthews/PA)
It is alleged that Kerr, 31, and her partner had been out drinking when they were driven to Twickenham Police Station by a taxi driver who complained that they had refused to pay clean-up costs after one of them was sick and that one of them smashed the vehicle’s rear window.
Speaking from the witness stand on Thursday, Ms Mewis, who is pregnant with Kerr’s child, broke down in tears as she recalled: “It was like nothing I’ve experienced.
“I’ve never driven a car that fast before. I immediately felt fear for my life.
“I felt out of control and like someone else had control over me and that was obviously very scary… I didn’t know if it was a kidnapping or if we were going to crash.
“All of the horrible things you think about in your head; I didn’t know if that was going to happen.”
Kristie Mewis, the partner of Chelsea and Australia striker Sam Kerr gave evidence at Kingston Crown Court (Andrew Matthews/PA)
When asked about how police treated the pair after the incident, Ms Mewis said: “Pc Lovell was immediately dismissive. He wasn’t believing what we were saying.
“We were saying we had been taken against our will, we couldn’t get out and (the driver) was driving like crazy … he was dismissive in a way in which he didn’t want it to be true.
“In my opinion, (the police) were trying to change the story and make it into something it wasn’t.
“It felt a little bit like gaslighting … the story (they) repeated back was different or they were manipulating it back onto us.”
The court previously heard on Wednesday that Kerr had told police “this is a racial f****** thing” and accused police, particularly Pc Lovell, treated her “different because of what they perceived to be the colour of my skin”.
Asked if she noticed a difference between the way police treated her and Kerr, Ms Mewis said: “Yes. Pc Lovell was more snide and shorter with Sam. He didn’t believe what she was saying and (was) dismissive with her.”
The trial continues.