Romeo Beckham, 23, the son of David and Victoria Beckham, has been convicted in Westminster Magistrates' Court of driving without due care and attention and was handed three penalty points. He was also ordered to pay a total of £746, made up of a £440 fine, £130 in court costs, and a £176 surcharge.
The case was decided without Beckham present after he did not submit a defense. According to the report, police had offered him an out-of-court deal that would have allowed him to avoid a criminal case by paying a small fine and taking an advanced driving course, but he did not respond.
The incident took place in September last year in Westminster, when Beckham was driving his Porsche 911 and stopped at a red light. A police officer who looked into the car said there was an unidentified woman in the passenger seat with a dog on her lap, even though pets are supposed to be restrained in vehicles under British law.
The officer testified that Beckham was looking down, holding a smartphone low on his lap near the steering wheel and scrolling with both thumbs. He was then stopped, given a warning about the loose dog, and charged over the phone use because, police said, he appeared fully distracted and not in proper control of the vehicle.
