LONDON — In a court session on Tuesday, a police officer expressed feelings of being “belittled and upset” in connection with an incident involving Samantha Kerr, a forward for Chelsea and captain of the Australian national team. Kerr is currently facing charges of racially aggravated harassment directed at Metropolitan police officer Stephen Lovell, with the events occurring in the early hours of January 30, 2023.
The case revolves around a night out where Kerr, 31, and her partner, Kristie Mewis, a midfielder for West Ham, had been drinking. According to reports, a taxi driver brought them to Twickenham Police Station after claiming that they refused to pay for clean-up costs following an incident where one of them became ill and supposedly damaged the taxi’s rear window.
At the police station, it is alleged that Kerr became “abusive and insulting” towards Officer Lovell, reportedly using phrases such as “stupid and white” in her remarks. While Kerr acknowledges making these comments, she contends that they do not warrant the harassment charge she faces.
Initially, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) decided against pressing charges against Kerr, but the case took a turn when a request was made to reconsider this decision. Lovell’s first statement to the CPS did not indicate that Kerr’s remarks had impacted him. Approximately six months later, after the police pushed for a reconsideration, a new statement was submitted by Lovell that articulated the emotional toll her comments had taken on him, claiming they left him feeling “shocked, upset, and humiliated.” This led to the authorization of charges in December 2023, almost a year after the incident.
In defense of Kerr, Grace Forbes pointed out during cross-examination that Lovell’s revised statement appeared to emerge only after the CPS had initially declined to proceed with the case against Kerr. When asked about the timeline, Lovell confirmed that law enforcement officials were deliberating whether to pursue charges around August 2023, amid the ongoing Women’s World Cup, where Kerr was prominently featured.
Forbes further challenged Lovell on whether he had seen Kerr on television during this period, to which he denied. She insinuated that he was overly focused on pursuing charges against someone who, in his words, made him feel insignificant.
During follow-up questioning by prosecutor Bill Emlyn Jones, Lovell clarified that he felt diminished after being called “stupid,” reiterating that while race was not a focal point of the incident, the reference to his being white did affect him emotionally. When pressed about the authenticity of his statements, Lovell firmly denied any intention to fabricate details simply to justify charges against Kerr.
