Chelsea striker avoids contract termination as nightmare saga finally ends | OneFootball

Chelsea Women striker Sam Kerr has been found not guilty in her long running trial at Kingston Crown Court, the BBC have just reported.

The 31 year old was accused of causing racially aggravated harassment after an incident in January 2023 in a taxi in Twickenham, South West London. Kerr and her fiancée Kristie Mewis vomited in the taxi and then kicked out a window after the driver complained they and demanded that they pay to clear up the mess.

The driver took them to a police station, where the alleged racial harassment took place. Kerr admitted she called PC Stephen Lovell “stupid and white” but denied those words amounted to a racial offence sufficient to make her guilty of racially aggravated harassment. The Telegraph speculate that a guilty verdict would have led to her contract (signed last summer) at Chelsea being terminated.

PC testimony key to final verdict

Sam Kerr enters court with fiancée Kristie Mewis.

Kerr admitted she regretted expressing herself in that way, but maintained the message was “still relevant.”

While Kerr was cleared by the jury, the Judge Peter Lodder KC admitted he felt differently:

“I take the view [Kerr’s] 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.”

A key part of the trial appears to have been PC Lovell’s testimony – his initial report of the incident to the Crown Prosecution Service made no mention of the “stupid and white” comment, but once the CPS had found a way to bring the incident to trial, his second statement said he felt “shocked, upset and humiliated.”

Kerr has been star player for Chelsea over the years since signing for the hugely successful Women’s team, with highlights including scoring an FA Cup winning extra time goal in May 2022. Injuries have hampered her since then, and she will hope that having this case behind her helps bring her to a brighter future.