LONDON, Sept 15 (Reuters) - Former England winger Raheem Sterling pleaded guilty on Monday to dangerous driving after witnesses reported that he had been seen inhaling 'laughing gas' from a balloon while behind the wheel before he crashed his Lamborghini car.
Sterling, 31, was reported driving erratically on the M25 and M3 motorways in southern England at rush hour on the morning of May 28 before police found him sitting in the passenger seat of his crashed car holding two canisters of nitrous oxide.
Police said no other vehicles were involved and no injuries reported.
Sterling, who most recently played for Dutch side Feyenoord, admitted charges of dangerous driving, possession of nitrous oxide, and failing to provide a blood specimen when he appeared at Basingstoke Magistrates' Court.
The court was shown dashcam footage from another vehicle on the M3 motorway which showed his car weaving between lanes and swerving erratically, almost colliding with the central reservation.
One witness said Sterling's driving was "absolutely horrendous", saying that he had been inhaling from a large balloon which covered most of his view from the windscreen, while other cars had to brake to avoid a crash, prosecutor Simon Jones said.
Jones said after leaving the motorway, the Lamborghini had finally struck a sign or a gate at the side of the road causing extensive damage. In a statement to police Sterling said he had not slept all night.
Jones said the incident fell into the most serious category of dangerous driving, which attracted a jail term of one to two years.
Sterling's lawyer Jason Bartfeld said the car had only suffered superficial damage and four blown tyres, and there was "clearly personal mitigation", but he did not elaborate.
Judge Kirsty Allman said the case would be adjourned for a pre-sentence report and Sterling would return for another hearing on November 25. He was disqualified from driving and released on unconditional bail.
Sterling, who joined Feyenoord on a short-term deal in February after leaving Chelsea by mutual consent, has been without a club since the end of last season.
(Reporting by Michael HoldenEditing by Alexandra Hudson)
