Sam Kerr’s defence team files arguments in racism case

Sam Kerr’s defence team has taken another major step in a case surrounding her alleged racial abuse of a police officer in London.

The defence team of troubled Chelsea striker Sam Kerr has filed its skeleton arguments with a London crown court underlining that she did not intend to racially abuse a police officer on an alleged drunken night out.

The Australia captain’s legal team, led by senior UK criminal barrister Grace Forbes, has spelled out its defence in the case stating a lack of intent on the footballer’s part in documents filed with Kingston Crown Court on Tuesday.

The prosecution has until next Tuesday to respond in documents outlining how it intends to prove Kerr committed the alleged racist offence when the police officer was called by a taxi driver to diffuse a row over a fare.

Kerr, 30, has been charged with using insulting, threatening or abusive words that caused alarm or distress to the officer in Twickenham, southwest London, on January 30 last year.

A Kingston Crown Court hearing in March heard the footballer deny the charge with the judge Judith Elaine Coello saying she understood her defence would be that her intention was not to upset the policeman.

Sam Kerr did not intend to insult a police officer, her lawyer argues.

“I understand that the defence is that she didn’t intend to cause alarm, harassment or distress to the officer, [her behaviour] did not amount to it and it was not racially aggravated,” the judge asked Kerr’s barrister, Grace Forbes.

Kerr’s legal team is due to return to court on April 26 with the aim of avoiding the criminal trial next February by arguing abuse of process by prosecutors after it took almost a year for her to be charged.

If Kerr is feeling troubled by her pending court case, a tender moment with her fiancee might provide some welcome distraction.

The Chelsea striker received a gentle kiss from her girlfriend, West Ham midfielder Kristie Mewis, who shared the tender moment on Instagram with the caption, “Keeping her on her toes.”

Kerr, 30, has been keeping a low profile since a London court heard she will be obliged to attend a four-day trial in February 3 2025, when two police officers are expected to give evidence relating to the charges, which she denies.

Sam Kerr and fiancee Kirstie Mewis. Picture: Supplied

The Chelsea footballer is said to have been with her fiancee on the night of the alleged incident in January 2023 when a disagreement with a taxi driver over a fare broke out as they were being driven home.

It is understood the taxi driver drove the pair to the local police station around Twickenham south West London after the dispute over the fare escalated.

A local police officer and his colleague attended when the row escalated and Kerr is alleged to have racially abused the officer.

She was arrested and charged with intentionally causing racially aggravated harassment, alarm or distress to the male police constable under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998.

Kerr will miss the remainder of the season after tearing an anterior cruciate ligament on a mid-season training camp in Morocco but the news that she extended her contract beyond the summer is a huge bonus for Chelsea, who will lose their coach to the US Women’s national team this summer.

She joined Chelsea midway through the 2019-20 season and has scored 99 goals in 128 games for them.

Since recruiting the Perth-born player, Chelsea has secured nine trophies, winning the league four times, the FA Cup three times and the League.

Matt Shirvington warned Sunrise viewers not to be conned by a deepfake scam of him and Sam Kerr. Picture: Supplied

It comes as Sunrise host Matt ‘Shirvo’ Shirvington warned viewers not to click on a financial scam that used a fake interview between him and Sam Kerr as bait.

The Sunrise host revealed on Monday that scammers have invented a deepfake interview between him and the Matilda’s star to promote a fraudulent investment platform on social media.

“Do not click on the links,” Shirvington told viewers. “That is the only advice I can give you.”

“Don’t do it. You’ll lose your money,” he said.

The premise seemed to be that the scammers used a segment from Sunrise with Sam Kerr as guest discussing how to make money through investment platforms so as to get people to click on a link to an online trading platform where people are asked to enter their financial information.

Originally published as Sam Kerr’s defence team files arguments in racism case