Ex-Arsenal and Chelsea star Sterling pleads guilty to dangerous driving and drug possession after crashing ₦462 billion Lamborghini

Former Arsenal and Chelsea star Raheem Sterling has pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and possession of nitrous oxide after a frightening motorway incident that ended with his £270,000 Lamborghini Urus crashing into a metal gate.

The ex-England international admitted three offences after police found six canisters of laughing gas in his vehicle following the May 28 collision in Hampshire.

Sterling, 31, pleaded guilty at Basingstoke Magistrates’ Court to dangerous driving, possession of nitrous oxide for wrongful inhalation and failing to provide a specimen following the single-vehicle crash at 8.45am.

The former Manchester City and Chelsea forward had allegedly spent around 90 minutes driving erratically across the M25 and M3, forcing other motorists to move out of his way before leaving the M3 near Farnborough and crashing into a metal gate.

Witness Fiona Jennings told police she saw the driver holding a balloon so large that she initially thought it was an airbag. She said she had “no idea how the driver would have been able to see the road ahead.”

Another motorist reportedly watched the Lamborghini repeatedly move between lanes and come close to the central reservation after seeing Sterling inhale from a white balloon.

The court also heard that Sterling had allegedly been inhaling nitrous oxide several hours before the crash. Police later found him sitting in the passenger seat wearing a T-shirt and shorts, with six canisters inside the Lamborghini.

Bodycam footage showed canisters and a deflated balloon on Sterling’s lap when officers approached the vehicle. He was subsequently arrested and read his rights.

Football star faces potential prison sentence

Prosecutor Simon Jones told the court that Sterling appeared “quiet, withdrawn and lethargic”, with drooping eyelids that were consistent with fatigue or drug impairment. He also claimed the footballer struggled with basic tests at the police station, including touching his nose and walking heel-to-toe.

Sterling’s breath tests showed no evidence of cannabis, cocaine or alcohol, but he later refused a blood test unless a solicitor of his choosing was present.

His barrister, Jason Bartfeld QC, told the court that Sterling had “extensive personal mitigation” and had taken “voluntary steps to mitigate his difficulties.” He accepted that the case fell into the “top category” because of the prolonged dangerous driving and claimed serious impairment, while arguing that nitrous oxide caused impairment only for short periods.

Sterling could face a maximum sentence of two years in prison. The case has been adjourned until November for pre-sentencing reports.

The incident comes during a difficult period in Sterling’s football career. After his loan spell at Arsenal ended, he returned to the UK following an unsuccessful attempt to revive his career with Dutch club Feyenoord, and he now faces a separate legal matter away from the pitch.