Driving-ban Becks pleads: Don’t take my licence... I need to do the school run
DAVID Beckham was yesterday banned from driving after being caught using his mobile phone at the wheel – despite saying that he wanted to do the school run.
The former England captain’s lawyer told a court that he drives his children to school when he can and finds it ‘relaxing’ to get behind the wheel.
Beckham, 44, admitted operating his phone on his lap while driving in London’s West End in his £200,000 Bentley after being photographed by a man named Richard Cooper.
He said he had no recollection of the incident but pleaded guilty last month in a secretive court procedure from which the Press and public were barred.
Yesterday the former footballer, who already had six penalty points on his licence, was banned from driving for six months after being given another six points when he appeared before magistrates in Bromley, south-east London. Beckham had flown back to the UK from Macau, China, where he had been promoting £1.5billion resort The Londoner Macao, the day before the hearing.
Matthew Spratt, prosecuting, said Mr Cooper saw the father- of-four driving through ‘slowly moving’ traffic in Great Portland Street while using a phone on November 21.
‘Instead of looking straight forward, paying attention to the road, he appeared to be looking at his lap,’ he said.
‘He [Mr Cooper] says that the defendant was operating a handheld device at knee level. At that moment a photograph was taken. The defendant was holding the mobile phone in the upright position.’
Gerrard Tyrrell, defending, told magistrates that banning Beckham would deprive his children of being driven to and from school by their father.
‘Mr Beckham actually likes driving,’ he said. ‘He drives a lot and it’s something he finds relaxing. He takes his children to school each day when he can and picks them up when Court: David Beckham yesterday he can. This [driving ban] would deprive them of that, he accepts.’
Mr Tyrrell added: ‘Mr Beckham has no recollection of the day in question or this particular incident. He has seen these photographs. It looks like it was stationary traffic. That’s no excuse.’
District judge Catherine Moore said the former Manchester United star already had six points on his licence for two speeding offences, from Feband ruary 2016 and January last year.
Mr Tyrrell unsuccessfully argued that only three points from Beckham’s speeding offences were still valid because more than three years had elapsed since February 2016, but the district judge said they were still ‘active’ when the phone offence was committed.
Wearing a grey suit with a black tie, Beckham was dropped off outside the court in a black Range Rover, which pulled onto double yellow lines. He spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth and to give his address in west London. The former footballer – worth an estimated £335million – was also fined £750 ordered to pay £100 prosecution costs and a £75 surcharge fee within seven days. He showed no emotion when he was sentenced. The district judge said she would give him credit for entering a guilty plea at the earliest opportunity and reduced his fine from £1,000 to £750.
‘I am sure you know driving with a mobile phone carries with it six penalty points,’ she said. ‘I am therefore required to disqualify you from driving. The traffic was stationary but I am sure you know this carries a risk to yourself and other road users.’
Beckham was criticised for hiring lawyer Nick Freeman, dubbed ‘Mr Loophole’, to avoid a speeding penalty after being caught doing 59mph in a 40mph zone in west London in January last year.
Mr Freeman successfully argued that Beckham had not received the penalty notice within the 14 days required by law. It was the second time in two days that the ex-footballer had been caught speeding.
After yesterday’s case, Joshua Harris, of road safety charity Brake, said: ‘Those who ignore the law and use a phone while driving, as Mr Beckham has done, selfishly put lives in danger and deserve to be punished accordingly. A single moment’s inattention behind the wheel can have catastrophic consequences.’
‘He finds driving relaxing’