Sam Kerr’s lawyers seek to have harassment charge thrown out of court

Matildas captain pleaded not guilty in UK this week to racially aggravated harassment of a police officer

Lawyers for Matildas captain Sam Kerr will attempt to have a criminal charge of racially aggravated harassment thrown out in a UK court hearing in April.

The 30-year-old appeared in Kingston crown court on Monday accused of using insulting, threatening or abusive words that caused alarm or distress to a police officer in January 2023.

The four-day trial is currently scheduled for February 2025, more than two years after the alleged offence..

No-one saw it coming. Not football’s administrators, nor the national team coach. Certainly not the adoring public that has followed every step of the

 Matildas’ meteoric rise to the throne of Australian sport.

Sam Kerr’s shock court appearance in the UK has left loyal fans reeling. Though the trial is not scheduled to take place until

 February next year – more than two years after the alleged offence – the response in Australia on Tuesday has highlighted just how high the stakes are for the national team captain and the broader football community in the matter’s process and outcome.

The 30-year-old has a long-running agreement with Nike, another deal with Mastercard, and was made the face of video game Fifa 23 alongside French striker Kylian Mbappé. AFR estimated her annual income last year was $3.3m.