Sam Kerr Photo: AFP
Lawyers for Matildas captain Sam Kerr, accused of the racially aggravated harassment of a police officer in London, are attempting to have the charge dismissed and avoid a criminal trial next year.
Details of the alleged incident, which the Metropolitan Police say took place more than 12 months ago, came to light only on Monday, when Kerr appeared in court and pleaded not guilty.
Court documents have revealed Kerr's legal team will argue an abuse of process by Crown prosecutors in a hearing set for 26 April.
Chelsea, Kerr's London-based glamour club, has not commented in the wake of the allegation against its superstar striker.
The court documents allege Kerr intended to cause the police officer - PC Lovell - "harassment, alarm or distress" by using "abusive or insulting words or behaviour", or becoming "disorderly".
A trial would mean one of the world's most famous footballers would face at least four days of evidence at Kingston Crown Court, in southwest London, in February next year.
Chelsea declined multiple requests for comment, while her Australian-based personal manager Niki White and the sport's governing body in England, the Football Association, also did not offer responses.
Kerr has also not addressed the allegations outside court.
Their silence comes as one of the sport's key stakeholders, Football Australia chief executive James Johnson, conceded he'd been blindsided by the allegation.
The Metropolitan Police say Kerr's charge relates to an alleged incident involving PC Lovell, who responded to a complaint about a taxi fare in the leafy suburb of Twickenham on 30 January, 2023.
The previous afternoon, Kerr scored three goals for Chelsea as it defeated Liverpool in a match at the nearby Kingsmeadow stadium.
Johnson told a press conference in Adelaide on Tuesday that Kerr had not informed Football Australia of her charge.
The Metropolitan Police said it issued Kerr with a court summons on 21 January.
"I woke up this morning like everyone else did to the news," Johnson said. "And that is when Football Australia found out about this unsettling event. We are trying to get to the bottom of it at the moment.
Sam Kerr in action at the recent FIFA Women's World Cup. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
"We have got our own questions that we'd like to know, we have got to find out what actually happened."
Kerr has become one of the biggest names in world sport, in a glittering club career in Australia, the United States and Europe.
She is currently sidelined with a knee injury, which is expected to keep her out of the Paris Olympics, set to be held in July and August.
She has captained the Matildas since 2019, and is Australia's all-time leading goalscorer in international matches.
It remains unclear if the star striker will have to answer to England's Football Association over the alleged incident.
It has a strict code of conduct where it says players are to "never engage in offensive, insulting or abusive language or behaviour."
The code also lays out several possible penalties including suspension and fines.
Kerr has won the Golden Boot award in leagues in three different continents.
She was in 2022 awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia and was in 2018 named Young Australian of the Year.
She was also the Australian flag-bearer at King Charles III's coronation in 2023.
- This article was originally published by ABC.