Sam Kerr to deny she called white police officer a ‘bastard’ as Matildas star aims to get case thrown out

The soccer superstar is set to argue she did not call a policeman a ‘white ­bastard’, as she works to get the entire case thrown out of court in the coming weeks.

Sam Kerr and her legal team are working to get the entire case thrown out of court in the coming weeks. Picture: Getty Images

Soccer superstar Sam Kerr is set to argue that she did not call a ­policeman she is accused of ­racially vilifying as a “white ­bastard”, as she works to get the entire case thrown out of court in the coming weeks.

Kerr is not denying that she called the policeman “white”, as politicians back in Australia defended her and said calling someone white was not racist.

The Australian understands that Kerr’s UK-based legal team plans to challenge several ­assertions about the incident published in UK tabloid The Sun, where it was claimed she called the police officer “a white ­bastard”.

The Australian understands that Kerr, who is of Indian descent, claims she used the term “stupid white cop”.

Kerr drew support from politicians on Thursday including NSW Premier Chris Minns, who said he wouldn’t consider it racist if he were called a “stupid white bastard”, while NSW health minister Ryan Park said he had “been called a lot worse”.

West Australian Premier Roger Cook came to the defence of the Fremantle-born soccer captain “I don’t think it is racist,” Mr Cook said. “Sam is a great West Australian, she’s done so much for Western Australian sport, she has done so much for women and girls’ sports, and we stand by and support Sam.”

Sam Kerr is not denying that she called the policeman “white”. Picture: AFP

Kerr also found support from former Socceroo Robbie Slater.

“Without trivialising what she might have said, it sounds like something silly might have happened, it’s a bizarre thing,” Slater told Sky News Australia.

“I’ve been called a lot worse I can tell you.”

Kerr has pleaded not guilty to the charge of racially aggravated harassment of a police officer in Twickenham, southwest London, on January 30 last year, amid a dispute about a taxi fare.

The report in The Sun said Kerr was sick in the cab after a night out celebrating a Chelsea victory in which she scored a hat-trick of goals, and addressed police officers who arrived to deal with the dispute.

Football Australia chief executive James Johnson and Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson were blindsided by the charges and Kerr’s court appearance in London on Monday.

Football Australia powerbrokers were privately “fuming” to learn about the allegations levelled against Kerr through a newspaper report.

The 30-year-old football superstar – widely regarded as Australia’s best player – has a strong history of campaigning against racism.

Friends say Kerr had been struggling prior to the charge being made public, having endured a serious knee injury, which wiped out her dream of competing at the Paris Olympics this year.

It’s understood members of the Football Australia hierarchy including Gustavsson have reached out to the star to check in on her welfare.

Kerr may have breached the sport’s national code of conduct over her involvement in the incident, which could be deemed as bring the sport into disrepute. Football Australia has declined to confirm whether she has.

The Football Australia board has met and discussed Kerr’s situation. Kerr did not disclose the January 2023 incident and failed to reveal that she had been charged by police six weeks ago.

While there have been calls for Kerr to be axed as Matildas captain no matter what the outcome of the police charge, she has received strong support from her teammates and her Chelsea manager Emma Hayes.

Hayes said Kerr had the club’s “full support” and her own personal backing over the incident.

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

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