Chelsea footballer Sam Kerr has mentioned police handled her in another way “because of the colour of my skin” after an incident by which she claims she and her associate have been taken “hostage” by a taxi driver.
The Australia worldwide is on trial charged with inflicting racially aggravated harassment to PC Stephen Lovell throughout an incident in south-west London within the early hours of January 30, 2023.
It’s alleged that Kerr, 31, and her associate, West Ham midfielder Kristie Mewis, had been out consuming after they have been pushed to Twickenham Police Station by a taxi driver who complained that that they had refused to pay clean-up prices after one in every of them was sick, and that one in every of them smashed the automobile’s rear window.
On the police station, Kerr is alleged to have turn out to be “abusive and insulting” in the direction of PC Lovell, calling him “stupid and white”.
A jury at Kingston Crown Courtroom heard on Wednesday that Kerr had instructed police “this is a racial f****** thing”. When requested about these feedback, Kerr mentioned: “I believed they were treating me differently because of what they perceived to be the colour of my skin – particularly PC Lovell’s behaviour.
“The way in which he was accusing me of mendacity, and later arresting me for felony injury though Kristie mentioned it was simply her (who smashed the taxi’s window).
“At the time, I thought they were trying to put it on me.”
When requested about her feedback in the direction of PC Lovell, Kerr responded: “I had had a couple of drinks, mixed with tiredness, being in a scared and distressed state and (being) scared for my life 15 or 20 minutes before.”
She mentioned she regretted the best way she expressed herself however added: “I feel the message was still relevant.”
Kerr instructed the court docket she believed the taxi driver was “kidnapping” her and Ms Mewis and holding them “hostage”. On the police station, Kerr made reference to Sarah Everard, who was murdered by Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens in 2023, telling officers a few “girl in Clapham” who “got raped and killed”.
PC Lovell is alleged to have mentioned: “Do you think a taxi driver, who is going to rape and kill you, would take you to a police station?” to which Kerr responded: “you’re sick”.
When requested why she mentioned this, she instructed the court docket: “I thought he was making light of what had happened to us. I thought it was an antagonising comment.”
When requested a few additional remark of “you’re literally a white privileged person”, she responded: “It was clear to me that he had no idea about the power and privilege he had in that moment or in life … he’s never had to think about what could happen to you as a female.”
Footage from PC Lovell’s bodyworn digital camera was beforehand performed to jurors, by which Kerr tells him and PC Samuel Limb that she and Ms Mewis have been “very scared” and “trying to escape” the cab after they broken the automobile.
Giving proof earlier on Wednesday, Kerr instructed the jury she had put her head out of the window when she started to really feel sick earlier than the driving force “rolled it up” and commenced to “drive dangerously”.
She mentioned: “He accelerated and began to swerve in and out of lanes… we were getting thrown around. I couldn’t hear what he was saying. He was speeding up and stopping.
“Neither of us had our belts on so we stood up and tried to speak to him… it felt like he was going wherever he thought… I used to be terrified.”
Kerr said the dangerous driving continued for 15 to 20 minutes, adding: “I used to be terrified for my life. All the pieces was going via my thoughts about being in a automotive with a stranger I deemed to be harmful. There was no reasoning with him. It was his means or nothing.
“Kristie asked him to stop the car but there was no change to his driving. We had no idea where we were. Kristie was very distressed. She was crying and scared. I’ve never seen her like that before and it made me more scared.
“I began to understand how critical the state of affairs was. It put me in protecting mode… he had the ability over us.
“We were not in control… I deemed him to be dangerous because of the driving but also because he could have taken us anywhere. He couldn’t be tracked so no one knew where we were.”
Kerr mentioned the pair tried to open the doorways and home windows a number of instances however they remained locked.
Ultimately, Ms Mewis “kicked out (the window) with her boot” which resulted in Kerr feeling “relieved”, however she added: “We didn’t get out straight away as the car was still moving.”
Requested by prosecutors if she nonetheless believed she and her associate have been being “kidnapped”, Kerr mentioned she did.
In a follow-up query, she was requested if she knew police had suggested the taxi driver to carry the pair to a police station, to which she responded: “I do now.”
Kerr instructed the jury she by no means used black cabs and most popular Uber as a result of she deemed it to be safer and autos may very well be tracked.
Born in Perth, she additionally made reference to the Australian Claremont serial killer: “I lived in a state where for 30 years there was a serial killer that was thought to have been a taxi driver. Everyone was talking about not getting in a taxi.”
Kerr was requested about her upbringing in Australia and expertise with racism there and within the UK.
Figuring out as a white Anglo-Indian, the Chelsea ahead mentioned she had seen her father and brother – who’re of Indian descent – handled in another way due to the color of their pores and skin.
Kerr additionally mentioned she had skilled it first-hand in class, on social media and even in procuring centres, telling the jury: “Sometimes I’ll be followed by a security guard.”
The trial continues.
