Chelsea and Australia soccer player, Sam Kerr, will go to court in the UK for allegedly racially harassing a police officer.
A 30-year-old individual was brought to court on Monday for allegedly using offensive, menacing, or aggressive language towards an officer who was handling a complaint about a taxi fare in Twickenham, located in the south-west London area, on January 30th, 2023.
Kerr, who connected to Kingston crown court through a video link, only addressed her name and declared a plea of not guilty to the accusation, according to the Daily Mail.
The Metropolitan police announced that Samantha Kerr, who was born on September 10th, 1993 and resides in Richmond, has been charged with a racially motivated crime under Section 4A of the Public Order Act 1986 through a postal charge request on January 21st.
“The accusation pertains to a situation in which a law enforcement officer was handling a report regarding a dispute over a taxi fee on January 30, 2023 in Twickenham.”
In February of next year, Kerr will face trial and two police officers will testify. The trial is estimated to take four days.
Football Australia has acknowledged the ongoing legal proceedings involving Sam Kerr in the United Kingdom.
Due to the ongoing legal case, we are currently unable to share any additional remarks. Our main priority is still the well-being of our players, both during and outside of games. We will continue to keep an eye on the situation and offer assistance as needed.
One of the most recognizable athletes in Australia, the striker serves as the country’s captain. This comes after the Matildas’ successful semi-final appearance in the 2020 Women’s World Cup held in Australia and New Zealand.
In May, during the coronation of King Charles at Westminster Abbey, the footballer represented her country by bearing its flag.
Kerr recently signed a new contract with Chelsea, the current Women’s Super League titleholders. Unfortunately, she sustained an anterior cruciate ligament tear during a training camp in Morocco, and will not be able to play for the team for the rest of the season.
Kerr joined Chelsea during the 2019-20 season and has achieved a total of 99 goals in 128 games for the team.
She has achieved the Golden Boot title twice and was the runner-up to Aitana Bonmatí of Spain at last year’s Ballon d’Or awards. Additionally, she ranked second on the Guardian’s list of the best 100 female footballers in 2023, moving up from third place in both 2021 and 2022.
Source: theguardian.com
