The former Manchester United and English National Team mid-fielder David Beckham wasn’t able to get out of this one with a free kick.
Beckham pleaded guilty to driving while on his phone in London, he has been banned from driving for half a year and has to pay a 750-pound ($973) fine, reported the Daily Mail.
He came to Bromley Magistrates Court on May 9 for sentencing after he was spotted using his mobile phone in a Bentley valued at 100.000 pounds ($130,111) last November. He got six points on his driver’s license and was banned from driving.
The former England captain had pleaded guilty by mail and it was decided that the case would be dealt with at Lavender Hill Magistrates’ Court in April of this year, however, the hearing was rescheduled after Beckham said he would take responsibility. He was in the United States at that time.
The case was originally set to be resolved in a single justice procedure (a hearing behind closed doors) but last month, court officials said it was now listed as a “disqualification hearing.”
David Beckham is BANNED from driving for six months https://t.co/TAste5Jdx5 via @MailOnline #well done the public person who snapped this arrogant guy ..maybe you got away with technicality last time but now “Got u”
— Herb (@Herbrightoo) May 9, 2019
One of the court officials said last month, “‘Although it is listed as ‘to attend for disqualification’ we don’t know if he has enough points for disqualification,” adding that the court would only have an up to date account of his driving record a few days before the ruling.
Two months earlier, Beckham had evaded a speeding prosecution for driving a rented Bentley at 59mph in a 40mph zone in west London.
David Beckham arrives at Bromley Magistrates Court where he may be given penalty points on his licence after previously pleading guilty for using a mobile phone while driving his Bentley. pic.twitter.com/e13K6M3qPb
— Channel 5 News (@5_News) May 9, 2019
His celebrity lawyer, Nick Freeman (known as Mr. Loophole), however, maintained that a notice of intended prosecution was not received until one day after the required 14-day limit.
That meant that he didn’t have to face any further action, he didn’t attend the hearing set at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court and opted for it to be judged in his absence.
David Beckham arriving at court as he faces a possible fine and points for using his phone while driving his Bentley. @5_News pic.twitter.com/C2csBMI98Q
— Christina Michaels (@Kris_teen_a) May 9, 2019
Beckham was criticized for “shirking his responsibility” and setting a bad example to young people and other soccer players.
Some lawyers and road safety campaigners were indignant and disappointed to see the role model “getting off a speeding prosecution on a mere technicality.”
Vince Vaughn Convicted of Reckless Driving for DUI Arrest
Actor Vince Vaughn was convicted of reckless driving after his arrest for failing a drunken-driving test last year.
An attorney for the 49-year-old “Wedding Crashers” star entered a no contest plea to the misdemeanor count Friday, May 3, in Los Angeles Superior Court.
Vaughn was arrested on June 10 at a sobriety checkpoint in the upscale community of Manhattan Beach.
Police said he repeatedly refused to get out of his car and then failed a field sobriety test and a blood alcohol test.
Vaughn was sentenced to three years of unsupervised probation and ordered to complete a three-month alcohol program. He has been advised that if he drives drunk and kills someone he could be charged with murder.
Vaughn’s attorney Blair Berk declined to comment after the hearing.
As stated by the District Attorney’s Office, if he had been convicted in September of those June charges, Vaughn could have faced up to 360 days in the county jail, People reported.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
