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Chelsea star Kerr says treated differently because of 'skin colour' / Photo: HENRY NICHOLLS - AFP
NYSE - LSE
Chelsea star Kerr says treated differently because of 'skin colour'
Chelsea striker Sam Kerr Wednesday told a court she was treated differently by police "because of the colour of my skin" after "fearing for my life" following an incident with a taxi driver.
The Australia captain, who is of mixed race, is on trial charged with causing racially aggravated harassment to police officer Stephen Lovell during an incident in south-west London in the early hours of January 30, 2023.
It is alleged Kerr, 31, and her partner, West Ham midfielder Kristie Mewis, had been out drinking when they were driven to Twickenham police station by a taxi driver, who complained the pair had refused to pay clean-up costs after one of them was sick, and that one of them also smashed the vehicle's rear window.
The court was told on Tuesday that Kerr had become "abusive and insulting" towards Lovell, calling him "stupid and white".
But Kerr, giving evidence on Wednesday, said: "I believed (officers) were treating me differently because of what they perceived to be the colour of my skin –- particularly PC Lovell's behaviour."
"The way he was accusing me of lying, and later arresting me for criminal damage even though Kristie said it was just her (who smashed the taxi's window). At the time I thought they were trying to put it on me."
Earlier Wednesday, Kerr told the jury she had put her head out of the window when she began to feel sick before the driver "rolled it up" and began to "drive dangerously".
She added the dangerous driving continued for 15 to 20 minutes, saying: "I was terrified for my life. Everything was going through my mind about being in a car with a stranger I deemed to be dangerous. There was no reasoning with him. It was his way 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."
Kerr said the pair tried to open the doors and windows several times, but they remained locked.
Mewis eventually "kicked out (the window) with her boot" which led Kerr to feel "relieved".
But she added: "We didn't get out straight away as the car was still moving."
Kerr made her debut for current Women's Super League champions Chelsea in 2020. She is currently out of action with a knee injury.
D.W.Ernst--BlnAP
