Raheem Sterling has been disqualified from driving after admitting he drove dangerously on motorways and roads before crashing a Lamborghini in May. The former England winger entered guilty pleas at Basingstoke Magistrates' Court on charges that also include possessing nitrous oxide for wrongful inhalation and failing to provide a specimen for analysis.
The court was told the single-vehicle collision happened on the morning of 28 May near the M3. Prosecutors said calls about dangerous driving were logged between 7:45 and 8:52 BST, and that the car had been driven on the M25, the M3, the A327 and Minley Road prior to the crash. Officers say the vehicle strayed into the central reservation on the M3, left at junction 4A and then veered off the A327, hitting roadside infrastructure in a layby.
When police reached the scene Sterling was in the passenger seat, with two nitrous oxide canisters on his lap, the court heard. Witness Fiona Jennings, who saw the Lamborghini on the M3 at about 8:45, told police she initially thought an airbag had inflated, but realised it was an inflated balloon and described the driving as "absolutely horrendous driving." Prosecutor Simon Jones said multiple members of the public reported dangerous driving that morning.
Sterling complied with a roadside breath test, which was negative, and a preliminary test that indicated no cannabis or cocaine, but subsequent examinations at the Basingstoke police investigation centre judged him to be impaired. Officers were unable to take a blood sample without his consent, which was not given. Hampshire Police said no other vehicles were involved and no injuries were reported.
The 31-year-old, who has 82 England caps with his last appearance at the 2022 World Cup, most recently played for Feyenoord and made eight appearances earlier this year. His club career includes four years at Chelsea, where he made 59 league appearances after signing from Manchester City in 2022, and four Premier League titles won while at Manchester City. He was made an MBE in the 2021 Queen's Birthday Honours for services to racial equality in sport and is currently without a club.
Sterling was granted unconditional bail after the hearing and was seen listening attentively in the dock. He is due to appear at the next court hearing on 25 November, at which the case will proceed and sentencing or further interim measures may be considered.
