LONDON — On Monday, a jury began deliberating in the case involving Australian soccer athlete Sam Kerr, who is contesting allegations of racially aggravated harassment. The highly regarded 31-year-old Chelsea forward is accused of making derogatory remarks to a police officer, specifically calling him “stupid and white” during an incident that took place in south-west London on January 30, 2023.

The situation arose after Kerr and her partner, Kristie Mewis, a midfielder for West Ham, allegedly engaged in partying before a taxi driver transported them to a police station. The driver claimed the couple refused to cover cleaning fees after one of them became ill, and it was alleged that one of them damaged the rear window of the taxi.

At the police station, it is claimed that Kerr directed insults at police constable Stephen Lovell. Although she acknowledged making the comment “stupid and white” amid a heated exchange, she refuted claims that her words support the charges against her during the trial held at Kingston Crown Court.

Kerr asserted that she did not intend to insult Lovell based on his race, stating, “I believed it was him using his power and privilege over me because he was accusing me of being something I’m not.” She also described her feelings of being “trapped” in the back of the taxi alongside Mewis, expressing a genuine fear for her safety prior to Mewis allegedly breaking the vehicle’s window.

The taxi driver, who has remained anonymous throughout the proceedings, has not been called to testify as a witness, marking the trial’s sixth day. Kerr, who identifies as white Anglo-Indian, claimed that police officers were treating her differently due to their assumptions about her ethnicity.

Kerr holds the title of being the captain and leading goal scorer for Australia’s women’s national team, having netted 69 goals since her debut in 2009. After joining Chelsea in 2019, she has achieved an impressive tally of 99 goals in 128 appearances. The club is currently the reigning English champion and a strong candidate for this season’s Women’s Champions League title.

Since suffering an ACL injury during a training camp in January 2024 in Morocco, Kerr has not played and is anticipated to return to the field in the near future.