Chelsea and Australia striker Sam Kerr has been found not guilty of the racially aggravated harassment of a police officer in London.
Kerr, 31, was on trial for the abuse of PC Stephen Lovell in south-west London in the early hours of Jan. 30, 2023.
The incident occurred after she had been driven to Twickenham Police Station along with her partner, United States midfielder Kristie Mewis, by a taxi driver who alleged that they had refused to pay clean-up costs after one of them was sick, and that one of them smashed the vehicle’s rear window.
Kerr, who has Indian ancestry, called Lovell “stupid and white” after police were called following the drunken dispute with a cab driver.
The 31-year-old, one of the world’s top strikers who plays for Chelsea in the Women’s Super League, accepted saying those words but denied one count of racially aggravated harassment.
Her lawyer argued she was making a comment about power and privilege, and Kerr gave evidence last week that she felt police treated her differently because of the colour of her skin.
Kerr was acquitted by a jury following a trial at Kingston Crown Court. She showed no emotion in the dock as the verdict was delivered.
Information from Reuters contributed to this report.
