‘Utterly indefensible’: Sam Kerr’s lawyers take aim at cops as verdict nears

Sam Kerr’s lawyers have slammed the behaviour of police towards the Matildas star who is accused of racially aggravated harassment as the jury deliberates.

Sam Kerr’s defence barrister said she is in “no way anti-police” and whatever the outcome in the London trial, it has “left a lifelong mark on Ms Kerr”.

The 31-year-old is charged with one count of racially aggravated harassment with the intent to cause alarm or distress after calling police officer PC Stephen Lovell “f---ing stupid and white” multiple times at Twickenham police station.

The court heard Ms Kerr had a dispute with a cab driver over a taxi fare in the early hours of January 30, 2023 and was subsequently taken to the police station by the driver.

Sam Kerr (C) arrives at a London court. The Australia captain is on trial charged with causing racially aggravated harassment, which she denies, to a police officer. Picture: AFP

The trial - which is in its sixth day - is being heard at the Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court before a 12-person jury and will now run into its seventh day on Tuesday.

Ms Kerr made the comments “f---ing stupid and white” while speaking with police inside the Twickenham police station in 2023 to PC Lovell and they were captured on police body cam footage.

Sam Kerr arriving at court in London where a verdict is expected to be handed down in her trial on one charge of racial aggravated harassment @[e-mail]/bF91RULYRK

— Sophie Elsworth (@sophieelsworth) February 10, 2025

Barrister Grace Forbes who is representing Ms Kerr said in her closing argument on Monday local time that a “central element is intent”.

“What cannot be captured on camera was what was going on in Samantha Kerr’s head,” she said.

“Intention is very much in dispute.

“A person best placed to tell you what she meant is Sam Kerr”.

Sam Kerr called a police officer "stupid and white". Picture: AFP

Ms Forbes described the taxi ride home from Oxford St in Central London to Ms Kerr’s home in Richmond as “chaotic” and said the conduct of the police officers involved in the matter was “utterly indefensible”.

Ms Forbes was referring to both Ms Kerr and her partner Kristie Mewis - who were both drunk on the night - fearing for their lives on their journey home in the London Black Cab due to the driver’s erratic driving and holding them “hostage”.

The court heard that the driver’s behaviour drastically changed after the Matildas’ star vomited while in the vehicle.

The jury began deliberating at 3.28pm local time (2.28am AEDT) on Monday and returned an hour later ahead of the court closing for the day without reaching a verdict.

On Friday prosecution lawyer Bill Emlyn Jones KC said Ms Kerr’s “drunkenness doesn’t save her”.

Mr Emlyn Jones said PC Lovell didn’t “over egg it” when he said he was offended by Ms Kerr’s comments calling him “f—-ing stupid and white”.

Ms Mewis, who plays for West Ham and is pregnant with the couple’s first child, was in the cab on the ride home to Ms Kerr’s home in 2023, also gave testimony last week as did PC Lovell.

The trial will continue into a seventh day at 10.30am Tuesday, local time.