Former England footballer Raheem Sterling has pleaded guilty to dangerous driving after he was seen inhaling nitrous oxide from a balloon while driving a Lamborghini on busy motorways before crashing.
The 31-year-old appeared at Basingstoke Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 15 September and admitted dangerous driving, possession of nitrous oxide for wrongful inhalation and failing to provide a specimen for analysis.
The offences relate to Sterling driving a Lamborghini Urus on the M25, M3, A327 and Minley Road on the morning of 28 May.
The court heard several motorists contacted police about the black Lamborghini between around 7.45am and 8.52am.
One witness reported seeing Sterling inhaling from a balloon while driving alongside him on the M25.
Another motorist later saw the Lamborghini on the M3 and described the driving as “absolutely horrendous”, with the vehicle “swerving in and out of lanes”. The prosecution said she was so concerned by the manner of driving that she feared the driver could kill someone.
Sterling subsequently crashed the Lamborghini near the Minley Interchange on the M3 southbound in Hampshire.
No other vehicles were involved in the collision and no injuries were reported.
Police later recovered six canisters of nitrous oxide, a Class C drug, and Sterling admitted possessing them for wrongful inhalation.
Sterling has been disqualified from driving on an interim basis and released on unconditional bail. He is due to be sentenced on 25 November.
