Raheem Sterling, the former England international, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to dangerous driving and possessing nitrous oxide for wrongful inhalation after crashing his £270,000 Lamborghini Urus on the M3 in Hampshire, Basingstoke Magistrates' Court heard.
Sterling, 31, subjected rush-hour motorists to 90 minutes of dangerous driving across the M25 and M3, zigzagging between lanes and forcing other drivers out of his way before he left the motorway near Farnborough, Hampshire, and crashed into a metal gate. He later told police he had "a problem" with the chemical, commonly known as laughing gas.
Police bodycam footage shows officers finding canisters and a deflated balloon on Sterling's lap when they opened his car door. Officers say he then tried to hide the nitrous oxide by moving it to the back seat of his black Lamborghini Urus SUV. One officer is heard telling him: "You can put that down."
Sterling is then asked if he can "jump out" and who had been driving at the time of the crash, but he does not reply. "So you refuse to answer, okay," the officer says. He was told to get out of the car, asked his name and age at the roadside, and told to "put the phone down, stop playing games. Stop tensing up." He was read his rights and arrested after being asked to put his arms behind his back.
Return from Feyenoord
Sterling, from Berkshire, is a former Manchester City and Chelsea winger. His arrest, near the Minley interchange on the M3, came four weeks after he returned to the UK following the end of an abortive attempt to revive his career at Dutch club Feyenoord.
Guilty plea to three charges
Sterling admitted dangerous driving, possession of nitrous oxide for wrongful inhalation and failing to provide a specimen, following a single-vehicle collision at 8.45am on May 28. Police found six canisters of nitrous oxide in the car.
Impairment tests and prosecution's case
The court heard Sterling was so impaired that he could not perform basic police station tests such as placing his finger on his nose or putting one foot in front of another. Prosecuting barrister Simon Jones said: "He appeared to be quiet, withdrawn and lethargic and actively fidgeting. Eye lids 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."
Witnesses describe reckless driving
Motorist Fiona Jennings told police she saw the driver of the Lamborghini with a balloon in front of his face so large she initially thought it was an airbag. Mr Jones said the balloon was so big that "she had no idea how the driver would have been able to see the road ahead." Ms Jennings described Sterling's driving as "absolutely horrendous" and said she had "genuine concern that the driver may kill someone."
Evidence presented to the court suggested Sterling had also been inhaling nitrous oxide at the wheel some seven hours before his arrest. A witness called police after seeing the driver of the same car enter a McDonald's car park at high speed at 1.10am that morning while holding a pink, inflated balloon. By 7.45am, another motorist, concerned by the Lamborghini erratically changing lanes, saw the driver put a white balloon to his mouth and inhale its contents, watching for 30 minutes as the vehicle weaved between lanes and came close to hitting the central reservation.
The crash and arrest
After leaving the M3 near Farnborough and hitting the gate, with the tyres of his vehicle ripped up, Sterling came to a halt and was found sitting in a T-shirt and shorts in the passenger seat. Told to "stop tensing up," he replied: "I'm not tensing up." He provided breath tests that established he was not under the influence of cannabis, cocaine or alcohol, but later refused a blood test, insisting a lawyer of his choosing be present, having rejected the offer of a duty solicitor. He also refused to answer police questions.
Prosecution and defence arguments
Mr Jones said Sterling had been "attempting to impose a condition on provision of a specimen" and was told the investigation could not be delayed for that reason. "At the roadside, there was cooperation without the need for legal advice," he said. "When the search for the presence of drugs started, the cooperation ended."
Sterling's barrister, Jason Bartfeld QC, told the court there was "extensive personal mitigation" and that his client had taken "voluntary steps to mitigate his difficulties." Mr Bartfeld agreed it was a "top category case" because of the prolonged period of dangerous driving and Sterling's "serious impairment," but argued the nitrous oxide would only have caused impairment in "short periods" and did not carry the same risks as cannabis or alcohol. He claimed police had left Sterling confused about the blood sample.
In a statement to police, Sterling said: "I asked for a solicitor. I did not fully understand I had not slept all night and was tired and confused."
Sentencing
Sterling could face a maximum of two years' imprisonment. The case was adjourned until November for pre-sentencing reports.
