SUPERSTAR women’s footballer Sam Kerr called a policeman “a stupid white b*****d,” it has been claimed.
The 30-year-old Aussie’s alleged racial insult came after cops were called to a dispute over a taxi fare.
Australia women’s captain and Chelsea striker Kerr is said to have been sick in the cab after a night out.
Kerr is then alleged to have unleashed a racist verbal volley when cops arrived to deal with the dispute in Twickenham, South West London, on January 30 last year.
She has been charged with intentionally causing racially aggravated harassment, alarm or distress to the male PC under section 31(1)(b) of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998.
If convicted, FIFA poster girl Kerr faces a maximum sentence of two years’ imprisonment.
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Kerr, of Richmond, South West London, was summonsed via postal requisition to first appear at Wimbledon magistrates’ court on February 1.
The case was committed to Kingston crown court where she appeared via videolink on Monday.
She wore a white T-shirt and black jacket and spoke only to confirm her name and plead not guilty to the charge.
Judge Judith Elaine Coello ordered her to appear for a four-day trial at the court in February next year at which two police officers are expected to give evidence.
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Before that, a hearing is scheduled to take place on 26 April where it is expected the defence will try to dismiss the case by claiming abuse of process.
The judge said she understood that Kerr’s defence would be that she did not intend to cause alarm, harassment or distress to the police officer and that her behaviour was not racially motivated.
It is understood the delay in charging Kerr stemmed from CPS lawyers trying to decide what offence to prosecute her for.
Kerr, who became the first female footballer to appear on the front cover of the global FIFA 23 video game, has spoken out against racism in the past.
She and the Matildas team linked arms and posed with an Aboriginal flag ahead of their match against New Zealand. in 2021.
Kerr said at the time: “We’re very proud of it.
“We spoke a lot about it as a team. We wanted to do something that was important to us and show unity within our group.”
She is nicknamed the ‘Millionaire Matilda’ because of her lucrative career earnings and is the only female player to have won the golden boot in three different leagues and on three different continents.
Kerr was selected to carry the Australian national flag at Prince Charles’ coronation at Westminster Abbey in May last year, cementing her iconic status Down Under.
She signed for Chelsea in 2019 and has since scored 99 goals in 128 matches.
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Kerr is currently sidelined with a long-term cruciate ligament knee injury sustained during a warm weather training camp in Morocco in January.
She is engaged to be married to West Ham United’s Kristie Mewis, 32.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
