David Beckham is facing a six-month ban from driving in England after he pleaded guilty to a charge of driving while using his phone.
The former England international and Real Madrid and Manchester United player used his phone while he was driving through London on Nov. 21. A witness took a picture of Beckham while he was looking at his phone.
“Instead of looking straight forward, paying attention to the road, he appeared to be looking at his lap,” prosecutor Matthew Spratt said via CNN.
Beckham claimed he didn’t remember using his phone while driving that day but entered a guilty plea anyway.
“There is no excuse for what took place but his view is as he cannot remember … he’s going to plead guilty and that’s what he’s done,” Beckham’s lawyer Gerard Tyrrell said.
Beckham was also fined £200.
Beckham lost his license thanks to prior offenses
A judge assessed Beckham a six-point penalty on his driving record. The penalty alone didn’t cost Beckham his license. The six points from the phone incident were added onto the six already on Beckham’s record for previous speeding tickets. Thus, Beckham’s 12 points crossed the threshold for a six-month driving ban.
Beckham was greeted by numerous photographers when he got to court on Thursday. And, because Beckham is one of the most recognizable people in the world, the suit that he wore to court was a topic of conversation.
Beckham leads the ownership group of MLS expansion franchise Inter Miami and is the director of soccer operations for the team. The team is set to enter the league in 2020 and has a grand goal of beginning to sign players when the 2019 summer transfer window opens.