Sam Kerr was cleared by a jury at Kingston Crown Court after it deliberated for four hours. A jury at Kingston Crown Court cleared her in relation to an incident in Twickenham, south-west London, on 30 January 2023. Ms Kerr, 31, said she was “antagonised” by officers after she was taken to a police station by a taxi driver following a dispute. The Australian international, who made the comments to PC Stephen Lovell, did not deny using the words “stupid and white” but denied it amounted to a racial offence. She was cleared by the jury after it deliberated for four hours. She gave a thumbs-up to her legal team before leaving the courtroom with her fiancée, West Ham midfielder Kristie Mewis. In a statement following the verdict, Ms Kerr thanked her supporters, family and friends, and said she could now “finally put this challenging period behind me”. “While I apologise for expressing myself poorly on what was a traumatic evening, I have always maintained that I did not intend to insult or harm anyone and I am thankful that the jury unanimously agreed,” she said. “I am fully focused on getting back on to the pitch and look forward to an exciting year ahead for me and my family.” In a statement, governing body Football Australia acknowledged the verdict and said it had “remained committed” to supporting the player throughout the process. The trial heard Ms Kerr and Ms Mewis had been out drinking when they were driven to Twickenham Police Station by a taxi driver who complained they had refused to pay clean-up costs after one of them was sick and one of them had smashed the vehicle’s rear window. After the verdict, Judge Peter Lodder KC said: “I take the view her own behaviour contributed significantly to the bringing of this allegation. I don’t go behind the jury’s verdict but that has a significant bearing on the question of costs.”
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