Romeo Beckham has been fined after a confrontation with law enforcement for using his phone while driving with an unrestrained dog in the vehicle.
The 23-year-old, son of Victoria and David Beckham, was stopped in Westminster in September when a police officer observed him holding his phone with both hands instead of the steering wheel while waiting at a red light.
Court records indicate that an unidentified woman was in the passenger seat with an unsecured dog on her lap. The officer alleged that the model, who has been involved in a family dispute, was “distracted” and lacked proper control of his Porsche 911.
Following a hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, he was found guilty of driving without proper control, fined £440, and received three penalty points on his license. Additionally, he was instructed to pay £130 in fees and a £176 victim surcharge.
Romeo was pulled over while stopped at a red traffic light in Westminster last year. The officer noted that the driver appeared “distracted” due to the situation inside the vehicle.
The officer mentioned in his statement, “As I passed the vehicle on the left side, I noticed an unrestrained dog seated on the female passenger’s lap. The female was looking down holding a mobile phone.”
“I glanced at the driver, and I observed him also looking down at a mobile phone he held low in his lap near the steering wheel base. I could see him scrolling on the device with his thumbs.”
After stopping Romeo, the officer exercised discretion by advising him about the unsecured dog. According to the Highway Code, dogs must be properly restrained in vehicles to prevent distraction, potentially leading to charges of driving without control or careless driving.
Authorities offered him the opportunity to pay a fine and attend a driver awareness course to avoid legal action for using his phone while driving, but he did not respond. Consequently, he was prosecuted through the single justice procedure, which manages driving offenses in private hearings.
He did not plead guilty to the charge, and the court convicted him based on police testimony.