Sam Kerr’s alleged racist insult revealed; Chelsea offers ‘full support’

As The Sun reveals the slur that led to the Matildas captain being charged with alleged racially aggravated harassment of a police officer, Chelsea says she has club’s ‘full support’.

Matildas captain Sam Kerr allegedly called a policeman “a stupid white bastard” in a dispute over a taxi fare, UK newspaper The Sun reports.

It’s the insult alleged to have sparked the charge against the soccer superstar of racially aggravated harassment of a police officer in Twickenham, southwest London, on January 30, 2023, amid a dispute about a taxi fare. Kerr has pleaded not guilty.

The report said Kerr was sick in the cab after a night out and addressed police officers who arrived to deal with the dispute.

It came as Chelsea manager Emma Hayes said Sam Kerr has the club’s “full support” and her own personal backing over the incident.

In the first comments by Kerr’s British club two days after Kerr pleaded not guilty in a London court, Ms Hayes said: “Sam has our full support, she knows that”.

She added: ”It’s a difficult time for her. Of course I can’t comment, you know that. I can say that I know she’s pleaded not guilty and I don’t want to do anything to jeopardise anything for Sam by speaking about it.

“For that reason, I’m sure you can appreciate that’s all I’m going to say on the matter. But she has our full support, she knows that, it’s really important I get that across, it’s something I really, really value.

“There’s difficult moments, tough times and that’s what my role is at this football club - to make sure I look after our people - and I want to make it clear that Sam will be supported by me and everybody else.”

Ms Hayes didn’t make any reference to when she first knew of the charge or whether Kerr has been subject to any investigation by the club under its code of conduct procedures. The club has refused to any questions.

Kerr will seek to have damaging charges of aggravated racial harassment of a police officer dropped when her case returns to a London court next month.

The footballing future and global sporting reputation of Kerr, 30, one of the world’s best players, is under threat as she faces a four or five day court trial next February.

But the legal team of the star striker is seeking to downgrade the charges or have the entire case thrown out well before the trial when the matter returns to Kingston Upon Thames Crown court on April 26, arguing an abuse of process.

Unless her legal team can persuade the judge to dismiss the case on that day, the trial will be held at Kingston Crown court beginning on February 2 next year, with the two police officers who attended the scene scheduled to give evidence as well as other witnesses.

Kerr has gone to ground since the scandal broke following Monday’s court appearance where she pleaded not guilty of using insulting, threatening or abusive words which caused alarm or distress to a police officer.

The charge is regarded as serious in Britain, and can attract a maximum penalty on summary conviction of six months imprisonment, an unlimited fine or both.

Judge Judith Elaine Coello said on Monday it was understood that the footballer’s defence would be that her intention was not to upset the policeman and that she would argue it was not racially aggravated.

“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 posed to Kerr’s barrister, Grace Forbes from 2 Hare Court legal firm.

Since attending the court on Monday via video link, Kerr has not been seen at the club’s training and medical facilities where she would usually attend for rehab following knee surgery two months ago on her anterior cruciate ligament.

Sam Kerr, bottom left, and her fiancé, Kristi Mewis and friends in Covent Garden. This picture was posted on Instagram the same night Sam Kerr appeared in court in London on Monday.

Officials from her high profile club, Chelsea, with which she is in the final stages of a contract extension beyond 2024, have refused to comment about the case, and have not answered questions about what they knew and when.

It is also unclear if Kerr has been scrutinised for any breaches of the club’s code of conduct. The deafening silence from the Chelsea management or high profile coach Emma Hayes has been extraordinary, given that Chelsea FC has been championing “a zero-tolerance approach to discrimination on and off the pitch”.

The club website says: “We will always challenge inappropriate behaviour and the propagation of negative and toxic cultures in football”.

It is believed Chelsea has released Kerr from attending the team’s next matches against Manchester on Thursday night local time and Everton on Sunday afternoon local time.

Officials in Australia believe Chelsea knew about Kerr’s troubles and have been angered that they were sidelined.

Sam Kerr to face trial in England. Artwork by Emilia Tortorella

Few knew of the criminal accusation after the late January 2023 night in question: coming after a celebration of a big FA cup round win by Kerr’s club Chelsea where the star striker had booted three goals against arch rivals Liverpool.

Matildas coach Tony Gustavvson had no idea, so too Football Australia bosses, with the sport’s chief James Johnson only discovering their most famous player was in trouble when details from the court case landed on Australian breakfast tables on Tuesday.

Kerr had kept the issue from them during her remarkable year, captaining the Matildas at the FIFA World Cup in Spring, dazzling Australians with her artistry on the pitch; being selected by prime minister Anthony Albanese to carry the Australian flag into the coronation of King Charles III last May, and becoming engaged to her girlfriend Kristie Mewis.

Those in the know at Chelsea enveloped Kerr in a cloak of secrecy.

“Powerbrokers are fuming,” said a source. “This is their star player and they were kept in the dark. It’s believed sources from the UK knew’’.