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6 months ago
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Sam Kerr's court case for allegedly racially abusing a police officer will go ahead next year after a preliminary hearing scheduled for May 20 was cancelled.
Matildas captain Kerr and her legal team, led by leading criminal barrister Grace Forbes, were to appear at London's Kingston Crown Court on Monday to fight claims the 30-year-old allegedly insulted, threatened or caused alarm or distress to a police officer while returning home in a taxi following a night out with her fiancée Kristie Mewis on January 30 in 2023.
The case - where Kerr will plead not guilty - will now go to trial from February 3 in 2025 across four days.
A clerk at the London court told News Corp: 'All issues between the parties have now been resolved.
'The next date we have for the case is the trial date of February 3 next year.
The preliminary hearing scheduled on May 20 in London for Matildas captain Sam Kerr (right) has been cancelled
It means Kerr's case where she is accused of racially abusing a police officer will officially go to trial in February next year
'The judge agreed for this to be the case administratively. Monday's hearing is no longer needed.'
The development follows three delays in support of the prosecution against Kerr, including CCTV footage which captured her alleged racist rant.
Kerr allegedly labelled PC Stephen Lovell a 'stupid white bastard' - with Kerr's legal representatives denying she used the word 'bastard', instead allegedly calling the officer a 'stupid white cop'.
Kerr's barrister Grace Forbes previously requested CCTV footage from outside Twickenham police station and inside their custody suite be submitted as evidence.
It is understood PC Lovell was called to the scene at Twickenham surrounding a dispute over a taxi fare after the superstar footballer had spent a night out celebrating a FA Cup win over Liverpool - where she scored a hat-trick for Chelsea.
Kerr also reportedly vomited in the taxi and at the time was arrested and interviewed.
Her legal team have argued Kerr was subject to abuse of process after it took a year for her to be charged.
Kerr is currently recovering from a ruptured ACL sustained during a training camp in Morocco earlier this year
On May 20, they were also seeking to have the criminal charge of racially aggravated harassment thrown out.
Kerr will not be obliged to attend the hearing next February in person.
Kerr, who is recovering from a ruptured ACL from a training camp in Morocco, did not reveal her arrest to Football Australia, and later took part in the 2023 World Cup on home soil.
If convicted, Kerr could face a maximum jail term of two years or be deported from the United Kingdom.
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