“I Was Frightened for My Safety,” Sam Kerr Testifies About Taxi Driver Incident in Court

Chelsea forward Sam Kerr (31) appeared in court on Wednesday and testified that she felt she was treated differently by police “due to the colour of my skin” after a distressing incident involving a taxi driver left her “fearing for my life.”

The captain of the Australian national team, who identifies as having mixed heritage, is currently facing charges of racially aggravated harassment against police officer Stephen Lovell stemming from an occurrence in south-west London during the early hours of January 30, 2023.

It is alleged that Kerr and her partner, West Ham midfielder Kristie Mewis, had been out socialising when they were taken to Twickenham police station by a taxi driver. The driver claimed that the couple refused to pay for clean-up costs after one of them was unwell, and that one of them also damaged the taxi’s rear window.

During Tuesday’s court session, it was stated that Kerr had acted “abusive and insulting” towards Lovell, labelling him “stupid and white”.

However, while giving her testimony on Wednesday, Kerr stated: “I felt (the officers) were treating me differently based on their perception of my skin colour – particularly due to PC Lovell’s conduct.”

“He accused me of lying and then arrested me for criminal damage, even when Kristie confirmed that she was the one who smashed the taxi’s window. At that moment, I believed they were trying to pin it all on me.”

Earlier on Wednesday, Kerr recounted to the jury that she had leaned out of the window when she started to feel unwell, at which point the driver “rolled it up” and began driving in a reckless manner.

She further explained that this dangerous driving lasted for around 15 to 20 minutes, saying: “I was terrified for my life. My mind was racing about being in a vehicle with a stranger I considered to be a threat. There was no reasoning with him; it was his way or nothing.”

“Kristie asked him to stop the car, but his reckless driving didn’t change. We were disoriented and had no clue where we were. Kristie was extremely distressed, crying and scared. I had never seen her like that before, which heightened my own fear.”

Kerr mentioned that they attempted to unlock the doors and windows multiple times, but they remained secured. Eventually, Mewis “kicked out the window with her boot”, providing Kerr with a sense of relief.

However, she added: “We didn’t exit immediately as the car was still moving.”

Kerr made her first appearance for current Women’s Super League champions Chelsea in 2020 and is currently sidelined due to a knee injury.