Chelsea forward Samantha Kerr has rejected claims that she used “whiteness as an insult” during a confrontation with police at Twickenham station, where she referred to one officer as “stupid and white.”
The Australian national player faces accusations of committing racially aggravated harassment against PC Stephen Lovell during an encounter in south-west London in the early hours of January 30, 2023.
While being cross-examined at Kingston Crown Court, when it was suggested she directed hostility towards the officer due to his race, she responded, “that’s not what I meant.”
In her testimony, Kerr explained that she felt “provoked” by law enforcement after a taxi driver took her to the police station following a disagreement.
At the time of the incident, she was accompanied by her partner, Kristie Mewis, a midfielder for West Ham.
Kerr has previously recounted in court that the taxi driver brought them to Twickenham police station after she was ill in the cab, and Mewis broke the rear window because the driver had locked the doors.
Once at the station, Kerr is said to have acted “abusive and insulting” towards PC Lovell.
During Thursday’s proceedings, prosecutors questioned Kerr about whether she used PC Lovell’s race as an insult. She replied, “No, that’s not what I meant.”
Prosecutor Bill Emlyn Jones KC stated to Kerr, “In showing your hostility because of what you perceived to be his stupidity, you also expressed hostility regarding his race.”
Kerr reiterated, “That’s not what I meant,” leading Emlyn Jones to counter, “But that’s what you did, isn’t it?”
Kerr acknowledged, “It’s what I did, yes.”
In reference to her comments about PC Lovell being “stupid and white,” the prosecutor inquired, “What relevance did his ethnicity have?”
Kerr answered, “I believed he was exercising his privilege and authority over me based on a false perception of who I am.”
She elaborated that she wanted to convey that the officers, due to their power and privilege, would never comprehend the fear the couple experienced during the ordeal.
During cross-examination, Kerr was asked why she mentioned Chelsea and her legal representation when talking to the police at the station.
She admitted it was an attempt to “give myself a sense of security, a bluff.”
Emlyn Jones claimed she was “throwing your weight around,” to which she disagreed.
He argued that there was “no basis and no evidence” for her claim that racial bias motivated the police’s actions, but she replied, “That’s how I perceived it.”
The court had previously heard her utter expletives at the police, asserting, “This is a racial matter.”
When questioned about these remarks, Kerr stated, “I felt they were treating me differently based on what they assumed about my skin color—especially PC Lovell’s behavior.”
She detailed how Lovell accused her of lying and arrested her for criminal damage, despite Mewis connecting the act solely to herself.
Kerr described her perception of the situation as being influenced by how officers treated her in contrast to her partner.
Mewis also testified in court on Thursday regarding their experience with the taxi driver, saying it felt like “nothing I’ve ever gone through”—it made her feel powerless and afraid, unsure whether they were victims of a kidnapping or an impending crash.
In her testimony regarding police conduct, Mewis noted, “PC Lovell was immediately dismissive and disbelieving of what we were saying.”
She recounted, “We conveyed that we were taken against our will, that the driver was driving dangerously… and he seemed to not want to accept that.”
Mewis described the experience as somewhat gaslighting—their narrative felt distorted or manipulated by the officers.
When asked if she perceived a difference in treatment from the police, Mewis affirmed, “Yes. PC Lovell was more sarcastic and curt with Sam,” signaling disbelief in her statements.
In discussing Kerr’s use of the terms “stupid and white,” Mewis stated, “I believe it reflected her genuine feelings. She’s experienced differential treatment throughout her life, and she was expressing feelings rooted in that history.”
The trial is ongoing.
Additional reporting by PA Media.
