Former England winger, Raheem Sterling, has pleaded guilty to dangerous driving after crashing his Lamborghini on a motorway in Hampshire in May.
The 31-year-old, who appeared before Basingstoke Magistrates’ Court, also admitted possessing nitrous oxide for wrongful inhalation and failing to provide a specimen for analysis.
Sterling admitted driving a Lamborghini Urus dangerously on the M25, M3, A327 and Minley Road before the crash on May 28.
The court heard that he strayed into the central reservation of the M3 before exiting at junction 4A and later veering off the A327 into a layby, where he hit “roadside infrastructure”.
The collision caused “substantial” damage to the vehicle and all four wheels, leaving Sterling unable to drive the car further. He was also found to have six canisters of nitrous oxide, a Class C drug.
Prosecutor Simon Jones told the court that police received several reports of dangerous driving on the two motorways between 7:45am and 8:52am. One witness, Fiona Jennings, said she saw Sterling’s Lamborghini swerving between lanes on the M3 at about 8:45am.
Jennings initially thought an airbag had inflated but later realised it was an inflated balloon.
Describing what she witnessed, she said there was “absolutely horrendous driving”, while Jones told the court that she “had genuine concerns the driver might kill someone”.
When police arrived at the crash scene, Sterling was reportedly in the passenger seat with two nitrous oxide canisters on his lap.
He had passed a roadside breath test, while a preliminary drug test also showed no cannabis or cocaine.
However, tests at the Basingstoke police investigation centre indicated that Sterling was impaired.
Jones said the former Manchester City and Chelsea player told custody staff “he had a problem with nitrous oxide”.
Sterling did not consent to providing a blood sample. Jones said he had requested legal advice before deciding but, in the view of the police sergeant, “he was deliberately failing to provide a clear answer”.
During a subsequent police interview, Sterling accepted that he had been driving but gave “no comment” responses to questions about the dangerous driving.
His defence counsel, Jason Bartfeld KC, acknowledged that the case fell into the “top category” because of the “at times” serious impairment, although he argued that the impairment lasted only for short periods.
The defence also disputed that the damage to the Lamborghini was serious and said there was “confusion” surrounding the failure to provide a specimen.
Sterling, who has 82 England caps and last represented the country at the 2022 World Cup, was granted unconditional bail.
District Judge Kirsty Allman ordered a pre-sentence report before deciding whether to sentence him at the magistrates’ court or send the case to the Crown Court.
The former England winger, who is currently without a club after leaving Feyenoord, has been disqualified from driving in the interim and will return to court on November 25.
