- Chelsea striker Matildas appears in court
- Next February he will face a four-day criminal trial
- Police officer charged with racially aggravated harassment
Football Australia has said it will “monitor” the situation involving Matildas captain Sam Kerr following revelations he will face trial in England next January accused of racially aggravated harassment of a police officer.
As exclusively revealed by the Daily Mail, Kerr, who plays for Chelsea in London, appeared in court in the United Kingdom on Monday accused of using insulting, threatening or abusive words that caused alarm or distress to PC Lovell during an incident at Twickenham. on January 30. .
He appeared at Kingston Crown Court via video link, speaking only to confirm his identity and plead not guilty to the charge, which was later confirmed by the Metropolitan Police.
The Matildas superstar has pleaded not guilty after being charged with an alleged “racially aggravated offence” against a police officer.
The charge against Kerr (pictured playing for Chelsea) arises from an alleged incident in London on January 30 last year.
“Samantha Kerr, aged 30 (10.09.93) of Richmond, was charged by postal search on 21 January with a racially aggravated offense under Section 4A of the Public Order Act 1986,” the sheet said of police charges.
“The charge relates to an incident involving a police officer responding to a complaint relating to a taxi fare on January 30, 2023 in Twickenham.”
Kerr’s lawyer denied her behavior was racially “aggravated” and Football Australia has promised to support her.
“Football Australia is aware of the legal proceedings involving Sam Kerr in the United Kingdom,” a statement from the FA read.
Football Australia has promised to support the star as he waits for his four-day criminal trial to begin in February 2025.
‘As this is an ongoing legal matter, we are unable to provide further comment at this time.
‘Our goal remains to support all our players, both on and off the field. “We will continue to monitor the situation and provide support as appropriate.”
Both FA boss James Johnson and Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson were due to appear before the media on Tuesday to announce the Matildas’ next round of home fixtures ahead of the Paris Olympics.
Kerr will not be in Paris after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury that has also prevented her from playing for Chelsea.
