Sam Kerr slammed in closing arguments: ‘What if she had called him f**ing stupid and black?’
The prosecution in Sam Kerr’s racial harassment trial wouldn’t go as far as calling her a “card-carrying racist” but asked the jury to consider a “hypothetic question”.
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The prosecution has made its closing arguments in Sam Kerr’s racial harassment trial in the UK.
Bill Emlyn Jones attempted to cut to what he said was the core of the case after a day where the Matildas star’s mother and teammates had flocked to her defence.
After Kerr was described as a “truly special human,” and one of the “kindest players”, Jones said it was irrelevant because she had still called a policeman, Stephen Lovell, “f***ing stupid and white”.
“It might make it surprising, it might make it sad but it doesn’t mean it didn’t happen,” he said, per the Guardian.
Kerr and her fiancee Kristie Mewis have attempted to explain Kerr’s ugly rant - that was captured on video - as a reaction to a terrifying ride in a taxi after a night out.
But Jones said what happened in the taxi didn’t make “one blind bit of difference to what this case is about” and said Kerr was “drunk and angry” and “lashing out in a rage”.
Jones said he wouldn’t go as far as calling Kerr a “card-carrying racist” but asked the jury to consider a “hypothetic question”.
“What if PC Lovell had been a black male and what if she had called him f***ing stupid and black? Now of course that is not a fair question, because black and white is not a fair swap.
“Calling a white man is not as loaded, so you can’t just turn it around, it is not as easy as that. In the heat of the moment this was an insult delivered in reference to race and that is what the law prohibits.
“The test for you is the same regardless of the ethnicity in question. She was insulting him and, at the time, she was hostile to him by reference to his race. So the fact you will be able to think of much worse examples of racial aggravation is irrelevant.
“Would we consider this a racially aggravated insult if she had said stupid and black? Of course you would, it wouldn’t even be contestable.”
The defence will give its closing arguments tomorrow.
Kerr, 31 is on trial charged with causing racially aggravated harassment to Lovell during an incident in London in the early hours of January 30, 2023.
It is alleged that Kerr and her fiance Kirstie Mewis had been returning from a night out partying when they became embroiled in a fracas in a taxi which ended up with the driver taking them to Twickenham police station.
At the police station, Kerr, who is mixed race, is alleged to have become “abusive and insulting” towards Officer Lovell, calling him “stupid and white”.
On Friday at Kingston Crown Court a number of Chelsea players voiced for Kerr’s character.
“Sam takes part in charity work in Australia. Sam is a pivotal LGBT figure. Sam uses her platform to allow everyone to be accepted and she is no different in her personal life,” Chelsea and Scotland midfielder Erin Cuthbert. “That is why I’m lucky to call her my friend.”
Millie Bright, the Chelsea and England defender, said Kerr has a “great poker face” and others “probably don’t know what she’s dealing with”. “She doesn’t want to put her stresses on others so she deals with it behind the scenes,” Bright added.
Carly Telford, a former Chelsea goalkeeper told the court she first met Kerr in 2012 when they were competing in Australia.
The pair got into a scrap on the field but discussed the incident in a mature fashion afterwards, The Guardian reported.
“The fact she came and spoke to me, check in on me. She didn’t have to do that but it was a very nice thing to do.”
The two later became “close friends”.
Telford said Ker was an “introverted extrovert.”
“On the pitch you see the skills, away from pitch, she’s quite quiet and shy. Quite reserved,” she explained.
Via a statement read out in court, Chelsea and England player Mille Bright said Kerr was “truly special”.
“She has the biggest heart of anyone I have ever met and do anything for anyone.
“There are not many people in the world who can bring people together like Sam. She is a truly special human,” said Bright.
Meanwhile, Kerr’s mother Roxanne, also had a statement from her read out in court praising her daughter.
She described Kerr as “the most humble, honest and loving person I know”.
“She will always fight for what is right,” added Ms Kerr, who is in London.
“I’m so proud of the woman she has become,” she added.
Video show’s Kerr’s fracas with police
The day before, video was entered into evidence of Kerr at Twickenham police station.
She can be heard saying: “Listen to the recording because I’ve got all the f***ing people in the world. And what’s your name?”
You can watch the dramatic footage in the video player below
Footage also shows Kerr responded to one statement by saying: “File a police report, I’ve got f***ing Chelsea going on it because that is f***ed.”
The 31-year-old footballer at one point launched into a rant, saying: “I will have the best lawyers, don’t you f***ing worry. Because I would never f***ing say no to paying.
“Listen to the recording. Listen to the recording. No, that’s f***ing bulls*** because he’s a f***ing liar. That’s bulls***.
“He’s a f***ing liar and they’re listening to some f***ing black taxi man — a black cab or whatever they’re called, white taxi man, or whatever they’re called — over us two women.
“That’s a f***ing lie. I would pay whatever. That’s a lie. Why are you listening to a taxi cab over us two women?”
She went on to say: “I’m going to f***ing call my lawyer. I’m over these c**ts.”
After being told by Lovell that calling a lawyer would be “irrelevant right now”, Kerr responded: “No. I’m calling my f***ing lawyer. Because this is a f***ing racial f***ing thing.
“Because you are not letting me go because you are believing that guy out the front over 50 pounds?”
It is at that point in the released footage that Lovell tells Kerr: “You need to calm yourself down little missy”.
Kerr said she and Mewis did not “give a f***” about paying the costs to have the taxi cleaned.
Originally published as Sam Kerr slammed in closing arguments: ‘What if she had called him f**ing stupid and black?’
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