TRANSCRIPT
The 12-person jury took four hours to deliberate before coming back with an unanimous verdict: not guilty.
For seven days, Matildas captain Sam Kerr has been on trial after being charged for breaching Britain's strict racial harassment laws.
The one count of aggravated racial harassment relates to a night in January 2023 in London when she called policeman Stephen Lovell "stupid and white".
Ms Kerr, who identifies as a white Anglo-Indian, entered a plea of not guilty, telling the court she believed police were treating her differently due to the colour of her skin.
The court heard Ms Kerr and her partner, Kristie Mewis, had been out drinking when they were driven to Twickenham Police Station by a taxi driver.
He complained that they had refused to pay clean-up costs after Ms Kerr was sick and Ms Mewis smashed the vehicle's rear window.
Ms Kerr told the court she believed they were being kidnapped by the taxi driver, after their pleas to be let out the vehicle were ignored, the doors were locked and the car started moving erratically.
She faced the prospect of a maximum jail term of two years - and an unlimited fine.
Ms Kerr showed no emotion when the verdict was delivered, but gave a thumbs-up to her barrister, Grace Forbes, after the judge had left.
In a statement, Ms Kerr says she is relieved with the outcome - and hopes to put the matter behind her.
"Following today’s not guilty verdict, I can 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. I would like to thank my partner Kristie, my family, friends and all the fans for their love and support, especially those who attended court each day. I am fully focused on getting back on to the pitch and look forward to an exciting year ahead for me and my family."
England’s Crown Prosecution Service insists there was sufficient evidence to bring the case to trial.
It had faced some criticism in the United Kingdom, where even the most serious offences aren’t tried for years due to a lack of resources.
During the trial, police constable Lovell was questioned about his initial statement on the incident, which made no mention of the "stupid and white" comment having an impact on him.
It was in a second statement made a year after the incident - in December 2023 - that the alleged impact of being shocked, upset and humiliated was mentioned.
The charge was authorised by the Crown Prosecution Service later that month.
The Detective Chief Superintendent of Metropolitan Police, Clair Kelland, released a statement in support of the officers involved in the case.
"Our officers perform a challenging job and are often subjected to various forms of abuse as they discharge their duty. We will continue to support all officers involved in this incident."
The 34-minute police body cam vision - played during day one of the trial - shows Ms Kerr directing expletives at the officers.
The camera was turned on about 20 minutes after Ms Kerr had arrived at the police station.
She told the court she had expressed herself "poorly" and said she felt embarrassed at watching the way she behaved in the video.
The footballer hasn't played for 13 months, since injuring her ACL [[knee]] during a warm-weather training camp with Chelsea in Morocco.
She is expected to return to play in the coming weeks, in time to play for Australia in a pair of international friendlies against South Korea in April, in the lead-up to the 2026 AFC Asian Cup.
There have been calls for Ms Kerr to voluntarily step down as Matildas captain over her behaviour.
In a statement, Football Australia says it acknowledges the court verdict, adding the case has brought significant pressures to Sam Kerr, her family, and the sport.
The governing body says it will continue to support the footballer going forward.
"Throughout this period, Football Australia has remained committed to supporting Sam and will continue to do so as she focuses on her footballing career, rehabilitation from injury and return to play. Football Australia invests heavily in building the behavioural standards and expectations of all involved with our game, especially for all our national team players, where leadership comes with added responsibilities on and off the field. Football Australia will reflect with Sam on learnings from this matter; and we will continue to provide appropriate support for her moving forward. We look forward to Sam’s return to the pitch and her continued contributions to both her club and the Matildas on the world stage."
