Raheem Sterling pleads guilty to driving on nitrous oxide before £270k Lamborghini crash
The former England star admitted dangerous driving, possessing six 670g nitrous canisters and refusing a blood test after witnesses saw him inhaling from balloons at the wheel on the M3. Sentencing is set for November 25 - and it has put nitrous oxide, balloons and driving firmly in the spotlight.
Raheem Sterling has pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and drug offences after crashing his £270,000 Lamborghini on the M3 in Hampshire, in a case that has thrown the growing nitrous oxide problem in professional football into harsh daylight.
Basingstoke Magistrates' Court heard on September 15 that multiple motorists had called 999 between 1:10 AM and the crash at around 9 AM on May 28, 2026, reporting a black Lamborghini being driven erratically. One witness told the court she saw a large white balloon at the driver's mouth and 'had genuine concerns the driver might kill someone.' Three separate police forces received calls.
Police bodycam footage shown in court captured the former Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea forward handling nitrous oxide canisters in the passenger seat and concealing deflated blue and yellow balloons between his legs. Officers found six 670-gram canisters - the large 'Galaxy Gas' style cylinders - inside the car. Sterling failed roadside coordination tests, swaying as he tried to perform them, and refused to provide a blood sample. At the custody desk, he told staff he 'had a problem with nitrous oxide.'
Sterling, 31, who won 82 England caps, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, possession of nitrous oxide with intent to wrongfully inhale it, and failing to provide a specimen. Nitrous oxide has been a Class C controlled drug in the UK since November 2023 - possession carries up to two years in prison. Judge Kirsty Allman imposed an interim driving ban and ordered an all-options pre-sentence report; Sterling returns to court on November 25, with prosecutors citing a 12-month starting point for the most serious offences, potentially suspended. The case could yet be escalated to Crown Court.
The case matters beyond football. Nitrous is the 'party drug that looks harmless' - a 30-second high from a balloon, sold as whipped cream chargers or flavored catering canisters. The reality: heavy use chemically destroys vitamin B12, causing progressive nerve damage that has left regular users, including teenagers, temporarily unable to walk. And Sterling's case highlights the danger that rarely gets discussed: driving on nitrous. A driver mid-balloon is disoriented, oxygen-deprived and detached - a witness in this case believed she was watching someone about to kill another road user.
Sterling's representatives have pointed to extensive mitigation, including voluntary steps to address his difficulties, and sources close to the player have previously spoken about the toll of the abrupt end of his top-level career. He has been without a club since leaving Feyenoord in the summer.