A cyclist with a camera in his helmet caught Swansea City footballer Ben Cabango using his phone while driving. WalesOnline has obtained footage of the offence which landed the Swans captain a driving ban.
The 26-year-old said his conviction was “a significant wake-up call” and vowed never to use his phone at the wheel again. He asked Swansea magistrates’ court to spare him a driving ban as this would “require my family relocation for my work”, but the magistrates added six points to his licence – on top of the six points he already had – leading to a six-month disqualification.
The cyclist who filmed the offence is a Swansea University academic with an interest in road safety. When we contacted him he asked not to be named but told us: “I’d like to suggest that public figures play an important role in shaping the boundaries of acceptable behaviour. Unfortunately, incidents like this can reinforce the perception that dangerous driving behaviour is normal and acceptable.”
At the time of the incident, the Wales international defender was driving a black BMW X6, a mid-size luxury crossover SUV, on the A4067 Mumbles Road in Swansea. He was waiting at a red traffic light near the junction with Brynmill Terrace when the cyclist arrived just to his right.
South Wales Police staff member Joseph Smit wrote in his report that the BMW’s brake lights indicated Cabango had his foot on the brake to hold the vehicle in place.
The helmet footage showed Cabango looking at his phone while waiting for the light to turn green. In a witness statement the cyclist said it was clear Cabango was watching a video although the rainy conditions made it difficult to see the content.
Cabango appeared surprised when he realised the cyclist was looking at him. The footage does not include audio but shows the footballer speaking to the cyclist and giving a thumbs-up before edging the BMW forward slightly. When the lights changed he drove off.
The Swansea City youth graduate, who lives in the Vale of Glamorgan village of Penmark, pleaded guilty to using a phone while driving. He did not appear in court but expressed his remorse through the single justice procedure.
He said: “I appreciate that using a phone while driving creates unnecessary risk, and I deeply regret my poor judgement on this occasion.
“This experience has been a significant wake-up call for me and I can assure the court that I have reflected seriously on my actions and taken steps to ensure this will never happen again.”
He added: “Losing my licence would have a severe impact on my ability to manage my daily responsibilities and would create significant hardship for both myself and my family. I would require my family relocation for my work… I respectfully ask the court to take into account my genuine remorse, my acceptance of responsibility, and the fact that I have learned a very serious lesson from this incident.
“I fully appreciate the gravity of the offence and can honestly say that this matter has had a profound effect on me.”
The magistrates imposed a six-month ban and ordered Cabango to pay a £640 fine, £256 victim services surcharge, and £120 in prosecution costs.
The cyclist who reported him to police told us: “In car-dependent societies like ours, people easily overlook the harms of motoring in a bias known as motonormativity. So it is crucial to provide safe and reliable walking and cycling infrastructure to protect pedestrians and cyclists from careless drivers.”
Cabango has played 279 times for Swansea City and has 16 caps for Wales.
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