Footballer denies ‘whiteness as insult’ against police

Chelsea striker Samantha Kerr has denied utilizing “whiteness as an insult” in an trade with police at Twickenham station, the place she referred to as one officer “silly and white”.

The Australia worldwide denies a cost of inflicting racially aggravated harassment to PC Stephen Lovell throughout an incident in south-west London within the early hours of 30 January 2023.

When it was put to her underneath cross-examination at Kingston Crown Courtroom that she “selected to indicate hostility” in direction of the officer “due to his whiteness”, she mentioned “that is not what I meant”.

In proof, Ms Kerr mentioned she was “antagonised” by officers after she was taken to the police station by a taxi driver following a dispute.

Ms Kerr was together with her companion, West Ham midfielder Kristie Mewis, when the incident allegedly occurred.

The striker has beforehand instructed the court docket the motive force took the couple to Twickenham police station after she “spit vomited” out of the window of his car whereas Ms Mewis smashed the rear window as the motive force had locked the doorways.

On the station, Ms Kerr is alleged to have develop into “abusive and insulting” in direction of PC Lovell.

On the court docket on Thursday, Ms Kerr was requested by prosecutors if she was utilizing PC Lovell’s “whiteness as an insult”.

She responded: “No, that is not what I meant.”

Prosecutor Invoice Emlyn Jones KC mentioned to Ms Kerr: “In the meanwhile of expressing your hostility to him due to what you thought was his stupidity, you additionally selected to indicate hostility in direction of him due to his whiteness.”

To which Ms Kerr replied: “That is not what I meant.”

Mr Emlyn Jones replied: “It is what you probably did, is not it?”

“It is what I did, sure,” replied Ms Kerr.

In reference to her calling PC Lovell “silly and white”, the prosecutor requested Ms Kerr: “What did his race should do with something?”

Ms Kerr replied: “I assumed it was him utilizing his privilege and energy over me as a result of he perceived me to be one thing I am not.”

Later, she added: “I used to be attempting to specific that they might by no means, due to their energy and privilege, ever should expertise what we had simply gone via, in concern of our lives.”

In cross-examination, Ms Kerr was additionally requested why she had talked about Chelsea and her attorneys within the trade with the cops on the station.

She mentioned she was attempting to “make myself really feel protected, bluff”.

Mr Emlyn Jones mentioned to Ms Kerr that she was “throwing your weight about”, to which she replied “no”.

He mentioned there was “no foundation and no proof” for her accusation that the police had been motivated by race throughout the incident.

She replied: “That is how I perceived it”.

The court docket beforehand heard on Wednesday that she had sworn on the police and mentioned “it is a racial factor”.

When requested about these feedback, Ms Kerr mentioned: “I believed they had been treating me otherwise due to what they perceived to be the color of my pores and skin – significantly PC Lovell’s behaviour.

“The best way he was accusing me of mendacity, and later arresting me for felony harm though Kristie mentioned it was simply her (who smashed the taxi’s window).

“On the time, I assumed they had been attempting to place it on me.”

She added on Thursday: “(It was) the way in which he was responding to me, reducing me off, names he was calling me, being dismissive.”

Ms Kerr additionally mentioned in court docket her notion was formed by how officers had been treating her otherwise to her companion Ms Mewis.

Ms Mewis additionally gave proof in court docket on Thursday.

Talking in regards to the journey with the taxi driver, she mentioned she had not been pushed that quick earlier than and that it was “like nothing I’ve skilled”.

“I felt uncontrolled and like another person had management over me and that was clearly very scary… I did not know if it was a kidnapping or if we had been going to crash.

“All the horrible issues you consider in your head; I did not know if that was going to occur,” she instructed the court docket.

When requested about how police handled them after the incident, Ms Mewis instructed the court docket: “PC Lovell was instantly dismissive. He wasn’t believing what we had been saying.

“We had been saying we had been taken towards our will, we could not get out and (the motive force) was driving like loopy … he was dismissive in a manner during which he did not need it to be true.

“It felt somewhat bit like gaslighting – the story repeated again was totally different or they had been manipulating it again onto us.”

Requested if she observed a distinction between the way in which police handled them, Ms Mewis mentioned: “Sure. PC Lovell was extra snide and shorter with Sam.

“He did not consider what she was saying and dismissive together with her.”

In an trade with the prosecution about calling the officers “silly and white”, Ms Mewis mentioned: “I feel it was her fact in how she was feeling.

“I feel she has been handled otherwise, and spoken to otherwise for her complete life.

“And I feel that she was feeling the identical factor that she has felt earlier than and the issues I’ve seen.”

The trial continues.

Extra reporting by PA Media