Raheem Sterling pleads guilty to dangerous driving after inhaling nitrous oxide before car crash

Guilty plea at Basingstoke

Former England international footballer Raheem Sterling appeared at Basingstoke Magistrates' Court on 15 September 2026, where he pleaded guilty to three separate driving and drug offences. The 31-year-old admitted charges of dangerous driving, possession of six nitrous oxide canisters for wrongful inhalation (classified as a Class C drug), and failing to provide a blood specimen for analysis. The court hearing follows a single-vehicle road collision that occurred on the morning of 28 May 2026 in southern England. Following his guilty pleas, Judge Kirsty Allman imposed an interim driving disqualification, granted Sterling unconditional bail, and adjourned the proceedings until 25 November 2026 to allow for the preparation of a pre-sentence report.

Motorway sightings and witness calls

Prosecutor Simon Jones detailed how members of the public alerted emergency services between 07:45 and 08:52 on the morning of 28 May 2026 regarding a black Lamborghini Urus. Witness Christopher Jennings contacted police at 07:49 while driving parallel to the vehicle on the M25 motorway, reporting that the driver was inhaling from a balloon. At approximately 08:45 on the M3 motorway, another motorist, Fiona Jennings, observed the sports car swerving erratically across traffic lanes and nearly striking the central reservation. Dashcam footage presented in court showed surrounding motorists braking abruptly to avoid collisions as the Lamborghini drifted between lanes during morning rush-hour traffic.

“She had genuine concerns the driver might kill someone.”

Collision and police response

After exiting the M3 motorway, the vehicle veered off the carriageway past a roundabout and struck either a road sign or a metal gate, blowing all four tyres and causing substantial damage that halted the car. Police officers arrived at the scene and arrested Sterling at 09:15, discovering him seated in the passenger seat with two canisters of nitrous oxide resting on his lap. Bodycam footage captured officers instructing him to set the canisters down before taking him into custody at the Basingstoke police investigation centre. Sterling stated in an initial police interview that he had stayed awake all night and acknowledged to custody staff that he had a problem with nitrous oxide. Although he agreed to perform a physical impairment test, he requested legal counsel before refusing to provide a required blood specimen.

Potential penalties and career background

Prosecutor Simon Jones told the court that the incident falls within the most serious category of dangerous driving under UK law, which carries a potential custodial sentence ranging from one to two years. Defence lawyer Jason Bartfeld stated that the vehicle sustained superficial bodywork damage alongside the four blown tyres and told the court that personal mitigation would be presented at the sentencing stage. Sterling has remained without a football club since the conclusion of the 2025–2026 season, having joined Dutch club Feyenoord on a short-term contract in February 2026 where he made eight appearances in the Eredivisie. During his professional career, Sterling earned 82 caps and scored 20 goals for the England national team, played for Liverpool, Chelsea, and Arsenal, and won four Premier League titles with Manchester City between 2018 and 2022.