Raheem Sterling Pleads Guilty to Dangerous Driving and Nitrous Oxide Possession
Raheem Sterling has pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and possession of nitrous oxide after crashing his Lamborghini on a U.K. motorway in May.
The former Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal winger appeared at Basingstoke Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, where he admitted to a series of offences linked to a collision on the M3 southbound near the Minley Interchange in Hampshire on May 28, 2026.
Police were called in the morning to what Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary described at the time to BBC Sport as “a single vehicle collision, involving a Lamborghini, on the M3 southbound, close to the Minley Interchange [Hampshire]. No other vehicles were involved and no injuries were reported.”
When officers arrived, the 31-year-old was found in the passenger seat. The driver’s side was empty. Sterling was cradling two nitrous oxide canisters on his lap, with a total of six canisters in his possession. In court, an eyewitness branded what they had seen as “absolutely horrendous driving.”
Sterling admitted to dangerous driving, possession of nitrous oxide for wrongful inhalation and failing to provide a specimen for analysis.
Nitrous oxide is classified as a Class C drug in the U.K. and is commonly known as laughing gas. Its misuse has been increasingly targeted by authorities, especially when linked to driving.
The potential consequences for Sterling are severe.
Under the U.K. Highway Code, “Parliament sets the maximum penalties for road traffic offenses. The seriousness of the offense is reflected in the maximum penalty. It is for the courts to decide what sentence to impose according to circumstances.”
For dangerous driving, the maximum penalty is a two-year prison sentence, an unlimited fine and an obligatory driving disqualification.
U.K. Police guidance on drug driving states that if a driver is found over the drink-drive limit or impaired by drugs, they can face:
- a criminal record
- a maximum penalty of six months in prison
- an unlimited fine
- an automatic driving ban of at least one year, rising to three years for a second conviction within 10 years
The court will now weigh those guidelines against the specifics of Sterling’s case, his conduct at the scene and his guilty plea, before deciding how heavily to punish one of English football’s most high-profile names.
