Man Utd star appears at court after 'inhaling nitrous oxide from balloons' and crashing car

Manchester United star Brandon Williams has been at magistrates court after a laughing gas-fuelled car crash. Williams was involved in a car crash at 74mph and has denied dangerous driving.

At the court, as per The Sun, prosecutor Katie Johnson said that Williams had been driving his Audi A3 S line at speeds of more than 90mph along the A34. She said that: “He was seen by witnesses to have taken nitrous oxide from balloons.” The defender was present in a dark suit and spoke only to give his address.

The clerk of the court announced that Williams denied dangerous driving and did not accept that he was responsible for the accident. He also denied that he was impaired and that he drove without insurance. Magistrates sent the case for a crown court trial on April 19. Williams, who reportedly earns £65,000-per-week, was released on unconditional bail.

The 23-year-old has made 21 league appearances for Manchester United at senior level. He has spent two loan spells away from the club and both in the South-East. He is currently on loan with Ipswich Town, but he is back at Old Trafford working on his fitness after an injury.

The case comes after The Sun previously reported that an unnamed Premier League player had checked into rehab with a nitrous oxide addiction. Clubs are now said to test regularly for the substance, and a recent Championship transfer was cancelled after a medical showed signs of laughing gas in the player's system.

The anaesthetic gas provides the user with a short-term high and was made a class C drug in November. Potential side effects include heart attacks, stroke and brain damage, while prolonged use can lead to depression, memory loss, incontinence, hallucinations and nerve damage.