Prosecution in Sam Kerr alleged racism case gets more time

Sam Kerr’s bid to get her alleged racism case struck out of court on the grounds of abuse of process has hit another delay.

Sam Kerr’s bid to get her alleged race case claim against a police officer struck out of court on the grounds of abuse of process has hit a third delay, giving the prosecution extra time to build their case against the Chelsea striker.

A judge on Tuesday approved a revised timeline by which the prosecution must now lodge its response to the defence skeleton arguments by May 15 ahead of the new revised court hearing of May 20.

On Friday, local time, Kerr’s barrister Grace Forbes was due to argue at Kingston Crown Court in London that the Australia captain’s case, where she is accused by PC Stephen Lovell of racial harassment when he attempted to defuse a dispute over a fare after a night out in London, was subject to abuse of process after it took a year for her to be charged.

Prosecutors pursuing Kerr were due to lodge their response to the skeleton arguments on Tuesday 23 April having been granted a second extension to submit case papers when they missed an earlier deadline to gather enough police evidence including CCTV footage and written statements needed to cross examine Kerr, 30.

Australian soccer player Sam Kerr’s wait continues as the prosecution in her alleged racism case has been granted four more weeks to lodge its case. Picture: Instagram

Barristers for the Crown Prosecution Service have now been granted an extra four weeks to lodge its case documents.

The prosecution alleges the star striker racially harassed the officer when an enraged taxi driver drove her and fiancee Kristie Mewis to Twickenham Police Station in South West London amid a row over a taxi fare during the early hours of January 30 2023.

Kerr, among the highest paid female footballers who earned $3.3 million with endorsements with Nike and EA Sports in 2022 – is alleged to have verbally abused the officer who arrived with a colleague in the street outside Twickenham Police Station.

The alleged incident is understood to have been captured on CCTV panning the police station.

Kerr had been out with her partner in London at the time of the incident for which she was arrested. She was charged almost a year later with using insulting, threatening or abusive words that caused alarm or distress to the officer.

Kerr’s legal team, led by senior UK criminal barrister Grace Forbes, filed its skeleton arguments with the court underlining that she did not intend to racially abuse a police officer as well as arguments claiming abuse of process after it took a year for her to be charged.

Kingston Crown Court heard in March Kerr deny the charge with the judge Judith Elaine Coello saying she understood her defence would be a lack of intention to upset the police officer.

“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, Ms Forbes.

The case is due to return to court on May 20 for a mention hearing when Kerr’s legal team will aim to avoid a criminal trial set for next February by arguing an abuse of process by prosecutors.

Originally published as Prosecution in Sam Kerr alleged racism case gets more time