Cardiff City star admits abusing police officer and drink driving

A Cardiff City footballer has been banned from driving after admitting to drink driving and abusing police officer in the Welsh capital earlier this year.

Mahlon Romeo, 28, was handed a 14-month ban from driving at Cardiff Magistrates Court on Monday, after pleading guilty to a drink driving offence on Cefn Coed Road in February.

Romeo was found to have 58 micro grams of alcohol per 100 ml of breath. The legal limit is 35 micro grams.

As well as being disqualified from driving, Romeo was fined £4,423, and ordered to pay £85 in court costs, as well as a £1,769 surcharge.

He also pleaded guilty to an aggravated public order offence, after he was found to have abused a police officer.

Romeo was ordered to pay the police constable £100 in compensation, and was fined £3,317, with a £1,326 surcharge.

The sentence comes one month after Cardiff City manager Erol Bulut revealed the defender had been disciplined by the club. Bulut declined to expand on the details, describing the move as an "internal" issue.

Bulut explained: "I said at the start of the season, discipline and respect is the most important thing for me."

Romeo returned to the first team line-up just over a week after those comments, starting the final three games of the Championship season against Southampton, Middlesbrough and Rotherham United.

Cardiff City Football Club are aware of the incident but have declined to comment.

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