Video footage has emerged of the former England and Liverpool star being arrested in May after crashing his £270,000 Lamborghini
Police bodycam footage shows the moment Raheem Sterling was arrested in his £270,000 Lamborghini after swerving down a busy motorway while inhaling laughing gas balloons.
The ex-Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal winger was told “you can put that down” by an officer after he was found with NOS cannisters in his lap. Sterling then moves the items behind his seat.
The officer asks the footballer “can you jump out for me” before questioning Sterling who was driving at the time of the crash. However, when he isn’t given a response for the second time, the officer says: “So you refuse to answer, okay.”
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And after getting out of the car, and being asked his name and age, the officer says: ““Put the phone down, stop playing games. Stop tensing up. Put your arm behind your back.”
The Ex England star is then read his rights as he’s arrested. Sterling, 31, said he had not slept all night and admitted inhaling the balloons – nitrous oxide – during the morning rush hour.
A court was told the former England international committed a “prolonged and sustained” period of dangerous driving whilst travelling in his black £Lamborghini Urus for over half an hour.
He was driving “erratically” and in a fashion that left other road users with a “genuine belief that the driver may kill someone”.
Sterling told police custody staff at the station that “he had a problem with nitrous oxide”.
The incident, which involved no other vehicles, happened in the morning of May 28 near the Minley Interchange of the M3 in Hampshire.
Sterling said he had not slept all night and was spotted with a pink balloon whilst driving at around 1:10am prior to his collision.
The following morning he was seen accelerating and ‘slamming on the brakes’ on the motorway during rush hour and almost crashed into the central barrier, before eventually coming off the road after leaving the junction.
When the police arrived to arrest him he put his two cannisters and a balloon of nitrous oxide into the back seat.
Sterling appeared at Basingstoke Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, charged with dangerous driving, possessing nitrous oxide for wrongful inhalation and failing to provide a specimen for analysis. He pleaded guilty to all three charges.
The dangerous driving charge related to a period of around half an hour on the M25 plus a shorter period on the M3.
He was also said to have possessed six amounts of 670g of nitrous oxide with the intention of inhaling it and later failed to provide a specimen for analysis from the police.
Simon Jones, prosecuting, said: “Raheem Sterling has pleaded guilty to three charges that relate to his dangerous driving on the morning of May 28.
“.On May 28 of this year between 7:45am and 8:52am the police received a number of reports of dangerous driving on the M3.
“Just before 9am Mr Sterling’s vehicle near the junction at 4A veered off the carriageway at Minley Road. The left front and rear tyres of the Lamborghini was substantially damaged as well as damage to the other tyre.
“Sterling was seen to put the deflated balloon from next to him onto the back seat.”
Mr Jones added: “This is rush hour on a busy motorway. Plainly a number of other road users were impacted.” As witness Fiona Jennings said: “It was absolutely horrendous with reckless speed and swerving. I had a genuine belief that the driver might kill someone.”
Mr Jones continued: “The officer deemed the defendant to be impaired. He had reduced concentration, impaired co-ordination, altered balance and affected depth perception.”
When at the police station he was asked to complete a test to estimate 30 seconds but failed, recording 52 seconds. He also claimed he was cold despite it being during a heatwave with temperatures over 30 degrees.
During the tests he repeatedly wanted to obtain legal advice but refused the duty solicitor but instead wanted to seek named legal representation.
However, the police officer felt like he was “deliberately failing to provide a clear answer”, while Sterling said he had not slept all night and was tired and confused.
Jason Bartfeld KC, defending, said: “There is no dispute that this is a top category case. It is a prolonged course of driving. It is quite clear that the was significant impairment.
“There is no doubt here that there was a problem with the use of nitrous oxide at the time. It is harsh that someone who is labouring under these difficulties as making a deliberate decision.”
District Judge Kirsty Allman said: “In my view there are factors which take it above the starting point of 18 months” and highlighted that the case could possible be held in the Crown Court in the future.
The case will next be heard on November 25 at the same court for sentencing Sterling was released on unconditional bail and given an interim driving disqualification.