Mancheser City Youth Player Jailed Over Crash

28 February 2013, 16:04 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

Manchester City youth player 18 year old Courtney Meppen-Walter from Blackley has been jailed for 16 months and disqualified from driving for three years.

He pleaded guilty to two counts of causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving earlier this month.

Police were called out at about 10.15pm on Saturday 1 September 2012 to Bury New Road to reports a silver Mercedes had hit a red Nissan Micra.

32 year old driver Kulwant Singh from Salford, and his sister 37 year old Ravel Kaur from Cheetham Hill were both killed in the crash.

Mrs Kaur's two sons, who are 16 and 17-years-old were both seriously injured.

They were on their way back from the Sikh temple. 

Meppen-Walter had been at a restaurant in the Rusholme area with friends that evening, and after a meal and smoking a shisha he left at about 9.45pm.

He was seen driving his Mercedes C220 saloon along Trinity Way well in excess of the 30mph speed limit.

As he reached the junction of Bury New Road, Kulwant stopped to give way to a number of passing cars, before pulling out with the intention on going straight on towards the continuation of Sherborne Street.

However, before the family could get fully across the road, Meppen-Walter's Mercedes crashed into the side of their car, causing a massive impact that saw the Micra spin off the carriageway and hit a wall.

Meppen-Walter's car mounted the footpath and hit a lamppost.

A 19-year-old man driving a VW Golf was also arrested but he was later released without charge.

A specialist investigator calculated the minimum average speed Meppen-Walter was driving at just before he hit the Micra was 56mph.

Police Sergeant Danny Byrne, from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said:

"This has been an incredibly complex and sensitive investigation. Having reviewed all the available information and evidence, I am satisfied that Meppen-Walter and his friend were not racing each other at the time of the collision."

"Nevertheless, what this case tragically highlights is that every time someone gets behind the wheel of a car, the driver has to have 100 percent concentration, they must adhere to the speed limits and respect the laws of the road. A car can be a lethal weapon."

Kushwant Kaur, Kulwant's wife, said: "The driver has taken away my loving husband and father to my two children. Our life has been destroyed.

"Kulwant was more than anything I have ever loved in my life, nothing can replace him. I am pleased that justice has been done and I hope that this will teach him so no family has to go through what myself and my family have been through this past few months, and will continue to go through for the rest of our lives."

Gawa Singh, brother to both Kulwant and Ravel, also said:

"People who kill on the roads should be banned from driving forever so that they can never do this again to another person.

"We are reminded daily about the loss of our brother and sister, he should be reminded every day too by not having the luxury of having the use of a car."