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Raheem Sterling pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and could be sent to prison after driving his Lamborghini for more than an hour on motorways during rush hour while inhaling nitrous oxide.
The former Chelsea and Manchester City forward stood in the dock to accept three charges before Basingstoke magistrates court heard how he embarked on a prolonged period of reckless driving on the M25 and M3, inhaling nitrous oxide balloons, before crashing his £270,000 car. Sterling was disqualified from driving and bailed until 25 November, when his sentence will either be determined or referred to the crown court.
Sterling also admitted possession of nitrous oxide and refusing to provide a specimen.
The maximum term for Sterling would be two years in prison, although a sentence of 12 to 18 months is considered more likely and, with mitigation, that could be suspended.
Prosecutor Simon Jones told the court one witness had “genuine concerns the driver might kill someone” and described Sterling’s driving as “absolutely horrendous”.
“As she moved past the vehicle she thought the airbag had been deployed, it was a large white deflated balloon,” Jones said. “She had no idea if the driver could see ahead.”
Between 7.45am and 8.52am on 28 May, police received multiple calls reporting dangerous driving – shortly after Sterling had returned to England after a loan at Feyenoord, where he had attempted to revive his career.
Dashcam footage provided to police by one witness showed Sterling’s car swerving between lanes and almost colliding with the central reservation. Witnesses reported seeing the driver inhaling balloons while driving.
After leaving the M3, the Lamborghini veered off the carriageway on the A327 near the Minley interchange in Hampshire. All four tyres blew out and there was damage to the bodywork. Body-worn footage from officers attending the scene, played in court, showed Sterling, 31, sitting in the passenger seat with two canisters on his lap before confirming he had been driving.
Jones said Sterling appeared keen to move a deflated balloon from beside him on to the back seat. His saliva was tested and no presence of cannabis or cocaine was found, but he later refused to provide a blood sample to test for other substances.
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Another witness told police they had seen the Lamborghini driving erratically at 1.10am. They reported it entering the drive-through at “alarming speed”, Jones said, and saw the driver holding an inflated balloon.
After his arrest, Sterling was taken to Basingstoke investigation centre. “During the process he had disclosed to staff that he had a problem with nitrous oxide,” Jones said.
Sterling failed a series of impairment tests, including walking in a straight line without swaying and placing his fingertip on the end of his nose. He was also asked to judge 30 seconds with his eyes closed but recorded 52.
Jones said Sterling “appeared to be quiet, withdrawn and lethargic and actively fidgeting” during the tests. “His eyelids were drooping, consistent with fatigue or drug impairment. He said he was feeling very cold, despite this being in the middle of a heatwave with 33-degree temperatures.”
The former England international, who won 82 caps between 2012 and 2022 and played in five major tournaments, was taken to a medical room where he refused to provide a blood sample without providing a reasonable excuse and despite repeated and clear warnings.
At 5.13pm, Sterling was interviewed with a legal representative present. A signed, prepared statement was read out in which he said he had not slept all night and was tired and confused. He then answered “no comment” to officers’ questions.
Defence barrister Jason Bartfield KC did not dispute this was a top-category case, given the prolonged driving and clear serious impairment. Bartfield cautioned, however, that there would have been “short periods” of “serious impairment”, compared with consuming cannabis or alcohol.
Bartfield did not accept the car damage was serious, describing it as “relatively superficial” and “minor scratching” alongside the blown tyres. He also argued that the fact there were two canisters in Sterling’s lap when police arrived showed “this was very much not a case of trying to conceal anything from them”.
The court was not told the full mitigating circumstances, but Bartfield said: “Clearly there is extensive personal mitigation. Voluntary steps have been taken to address them I hope this has weight with the court.”
District judge Kirsty Allman ordered a pre-sentence report and adjourned the hearing. She said she had not decided whether to retain jurisdiction or commit sentencing to the crown court. A magistrates court cannot impose a sentence of more than 12 months.
“I’m going to release you on unconditional bail,” she said. “If you don’t attend, a warrant will be issued for your arrest. I’m going to disqualify you from driving as of today. You must not drive a motor vehicle on the road as of today. I will determine the period if I sentence you, otherwise it will be for the crown court. You must not drive while disqualified – if you drive while disqualified you will be committing a prisonable offence.”
