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Sam Kerr, the captain of the Australian women’s football team and a star forward for Chelsea, is currently facing trial at Kingston Crown Court, accused of racially aggravated harassment for allegedly calling a police officer “fucking stupid and white.” The incident occurred after Kerr claimed she was being “held hostage” by a taxi driver on January 30, 2023. Kerr has denied the allegations against her.
During the trial, Kristie Mewis, Kerr’s fiancé, testified that Kerr was expressing her true feelings when she made the remarks about the police officer. Mewis remarked that she believed they had been treated unfairly by law enforcement and accused the officers of “gaslighting” them regarding their account of the taxi incident.
Mewis, who is currently pregnant, shared her perspective in court about the circumstances that led to Kerr’s outburst. She indicated that Kerr sensed discriminatory treatment from the officers, expressing that she had witnessed Kerr face unjust treatment on multiple occasions throughout her life.
During her testimony, Mewis became visibly emotional when recounting the frightening experience in the taxi, describing the vehicle as moving “uncontrollably fast” while expressing fears for their safety. She detailed how Kerr became ill during the ride and the driver’s aggressive response afterward, which heightened their sense of danger. Mewis mentioned that the driver began yelling and drove recklessly, creating an atmosphere of fear.
Mewis recounted her desperate attempts to escape the situation, including kicking out the window of the taxi, which was eventually parked outside a police station on the direction of law enforcement responding to the driver’s call for assistance.
Upon entering the police station, Mewis and Kerr felt that their concerns were met with skepticism and dismissal from the officers. Mewis characterized the police’s reaction as somewhat gaslighting, implying they were made to feel as if the entire incident was their own fault.
Mewis expressed frustration at how their account was interpreted and reported back to them by the police, stating that the narrative seemed to be manipulated. Ultimately, Kerr agreed to pay the taxi driver £900 for damages, a decision dictated by their desire to escape the distressing situation.
In another part of the trial, Kerr faced questions from prosecutor Bill Emlyn Jones, who pressed her on whether she used the officer’s race as an insult. Kerr refuted that claim, arguing that her comments stemmed from feeling that the officer was exercising his authority over her unjustly. Kerr acknowledged that while her expression might have been poorly articulated, it came from a place of frustration.
The inquisitive nature of the cross-examination brought forth a tense exchange between Kerr and the prosecutor, where Kerr agreed that if she were called “fucking stupid,” it would indeed be offensive. She clarified that her comment was an attempt to assert her position in a stressful encounter and was not intended as a racially charged insult.
The trial is ongoing, and further testimony is expected as the case unfolds.
Source
www.theguardian.com