PC at centre of Kerr trial challenged over motives

A police officer has denied he claimed to have experienced harassment from Chelsea and Australia striker Samantha Kerr "purely to get a criminal charge over the line".

The footballer, 31, denies causing racially aggravated harassment to PC Stephen Lovell during an incident at Twickenham police station in south-west London in the early hours of 30 January 2023.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) authorised the Met Police to charge Ms Kerr after PC Lovell submitted a second witness statement, a jury at Kingston Crown Court heard.

The CPS initially ruled that the evidence did not meet the threshold to charge Ms Kerr following the officer's first statement, given 10 months before the second.

Footage from the officer's body-worn camera was played to the jury on Monday, in which Ms Kerr uses an expletive and tells the officer he is "stupid and white".

The court heard that PC Lovell gave a witness statement on 30 January 2023 and a second on 5 December.

Grace Forbes, defending, questioned PC Lovell about his two statements.

She told the court: "Your first statement made no mention of stupid and white having had an impact."

PC Lovell confirmed it did not.

When asked if he was "determined" to pursue Ms Kerr "through the criminal courts", the officer replied: "Yes."

"The CPS identified that there was no evidence of harassment, alarm or distress being caused," Ms Forbes said.

"[I am] going to suggest you are claiming to have experienced this impact purely to get a criminal charge over the line."

PC Lovell denied this.

Prosecution barrister Bill Emlyn Jones KC asked PC Lovell if he had been concerned about describing his feelings when he gave his first statement.

On re-examination, PC Lovell said Ms Kerr's words made him feel "belittled and upset".

He added: "I didn't make something up to get a charge over the line."

PC Lovell told the court that in his second statement he said Ms Kerr's words had left him feeling "shocked, upset and humiliated" and that her comments about race "were too far and I took great offence to them".

He was asked by the prosecution if that statement was true, to which he answered "yes".

Ms Kerr confirmed she had been drinking on a night out with her partner, fellow footballer Kristie Mewis, when she was sick out of the window of a taxi on the way home.

The pair were driven to Twickenham police station by the taxi driver who complained the passengers refused to pay clean-up costs and smashed the vehicle's rear window, it is alleged.

The court was played the audio recording of a voluntary police interview given by Ms Kerr on 30 January 2023.

Ms Kerr said that she had felt "very threatened for my life" in the taxi, saying the driver had locked the doors, and that she "didn't feel heard or protected in the police station".

Ms Kerr initially said she did not recall saying the words "stupid and white" to PC Stephen Lovell.

After she was played the police body worn footage she was asked if she had made PC Lovell feel harassed, alarmed or distressed.

She said: "No, not at all."

Asked if she was aware her words could be perceived as racist, she replied in the interview, "I am aware anything could be perceived as racist for sure".

"I was obviously intoxicated and I shouldn't have been so front-footed," she added.

The trial continues.

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