Chelsea striker Sam Kerr denies using ‘whiteness as an insult’ against police

Chelsea striker Sam Kerr has denied utilizing “whiteness arsenic an insult” successful a heated speech with constabulary which saw her telephone 1 serviceman “stupid and white”.

The Australia planetary is connected proceedings charged with causing racially aggravated harassment to Pc Stephen Lovell during an incidental successful south-west London successful the aboriginal hours of January 30 2023.

It is alleged that Kerr, 31, and her partner, West Ham midfielder Kristie Mewis, had been retired drinking erstwhile they were driven to Twickenham Police Station by a taxi operator who complained that they had refused to wage clean-up costs aft 1 of them was sick, and that 1 of them smashed the vehicle’s rear window.

At the constabulary station, Kerr is alleged to person go “abusive and insulting” towards Pc Lovell, calling him “stupid and white”.

While connected proceedings astatine Kingston Crown Court connected Thursday, Kerr was asked by prosecutors if she was utilizing Pc Lovell’s “whiteness arsenic an insult”.

She responded: “No, that’s not what I meant,” and explained: “I believed it was him utilizing his powerfulness and privilege implicit maine due to the fact that helium was accusing maine of being thing I’m not … I was trying to explicit that owed to the powerfulness and privilege they had they would ne'er person to recognize what we had conscionable gone done and the fearfulness we were having for our lives.”

Asked if she was saying Pc Lovell was “stupid due to the fact that helium was white”, Kerr said: “No.”

The tribunal antecedently heard connected Wednesday that Kerr had told constabulary “this is simply a radical f****** thing”.

When asked astir these comments, Kerr said: “I believed were treating maine otherwise due to the fact that of what they perceived to beryllium the colour of my tegument – peculiarly Pc Lovell’s behaviour.

“The mode helium was accusing maine of lying, and aboriginal arresting maine for transgression harm adjacent though Kristie said it was conscionable her (who smashed the taxi’s window).

“At the time, I thought they were trying to enactment it connected me.”

She added connected Thursday: “(It was) the mode helium was responding to me, cutting maine off, names helium was calling me, being dismissive.”

Kerr besides claimed her cognition was shaped by however officers were treating her otherwise to her spouse Ms Mewis.