Chelsea striker Sam Kerr arrived at Kingston Crown Court today, Monday 3 February, to stand trial after allegedly racially abusing a police officer in a taxi fare dispute.

The 31-year-old, who captains the Australia women's national football team, is accused of lashing out at Pc Stephen Lovell in Twickenham in January 2023.

It is alleged that Kerr and her partner, fellow footballer Kristie Mewis, had been out drinking when they were driven to Twickenham Police Station by a taxi driver who complained the passengers refused to pay clean-up costs after one of them was sick, and that one of them smashed the vehicle's rear window.

At the police station, Kerr is alleged to have become "abusive and insulting" towards Pc Lovell.

Footage from the officer's body worn camera was played to a jury sitting at Kingston Crown Court today, in which Kerr tells Pc Lovell: "Honestly, you guys are f***ing stupid and white."

The footballer pleaded not guilty to racially aggravated harassment at Kingston Crown Court in March.

Kerr now faces a five-day trial, beginning today.

Prosecutor Bill Emlyn Jones KC told the jury at court today: "The defendant's comments towards Pc Lovell left him shocked, upset, and humiliated.

"He took offence to the comments that Ms Kerr made about his race because you may think that his being a white man really had nothing to do with anything."

The prosecutor added: "Ms Kerr denied that she intended to cause Pc Lovell harassment, alarm or distress.

"She said: 'I was just very angry at how I felt.'

"She described the entire situation as distressing and 'a heated moment'.

"Ms Kerr said that both herself and Ms Mewis were crying at the time."

Grace Forbes, defending, told jurors on Monday: "Nobody disputes the words that were said.

"But simple words, even words like these, do not make you guilty of a criminal offence."

She added: "The words were a comment, however poorly expressed, about positions of power, about privilege, and how those things might colour perception."

Scotland Yard previously said: "Samantha Kerr of Richmond was charged on 21 January with a racially aggravated offence under Section 4A Public Order Act 1986.

"The charge relates to an incident involving a police officer who was responding to a complaint involving a taxi fare on 30 January 2023 in Twickenham."

Currently sidelined from Chelsea with an ACL injury, Kerr is all-time leading scorer for her country, with 64 goals in 125 games for the Matildas.

The star striker has scored 99 goals in 128 matches since joining Chelsea in 2019.