Former Manchester City and England youth player Courtney Meppen-Walter has received a 22-month driving ban after being more than twice the legal alcohol limit in Manchester last month.

He told magistrates he was “embarrassed” at his latest driving offence after he was previously jailed for 16 months in 2013 for causing the deaths of Kulwant Singh, 32, and his sister, Ravel Kaur, 37, by careless driving.

The defender – who was 18 at the time – hit the pair’s Nissan Micra in a high-powered Mercedes C220 saloon after “playing games” with a friend in another car along a nearby dual carriageway in September 2012.

He was travelling at nearly double the 30mph speed limit and hit the Nissan as it emerged from a side street in Manchester.

Meppen-Walter – now a part-time professional footballer and coach – appeared at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday after pleading guilty to the drink-driving offence.

He had met friends at the city’s Christmas markets on 10 December and intended to have just one drink but consumed several, the hearing was told.

CCTV operators alerted police when the defendant’s Kia Picanto was later seen swerving in the road.

The vehicle appeared to hit a kerb and was stalled at a red light when a police constable approached, the court heard.

Risha Seth, prosecuting, said the officer reported having to take Meppen-Walter from the car because he would not get out and then needed the assistance of two passers-by to restrain him to the ground.

Meppen-Walter, 24, was arrested and taken to a police station where he gave a positive reading of 85 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath – the legal limit being 35mcg.

The court was told that the father-of-one agreed with the evidence of the case but claimed he did not resist arrest as described.

Caitriona McLaughlin, defending, said her client felt “genuine remorse” and was “truly sorry for his actions”.

“It was a mistake and it is the one and only drink mistake on his record,” she told the court.

Alcohol played no part in the deaths of Mr Singh and Ms Kaur who had come to the UK from Afghanistan in 2001 to start a new life after fleeing persecution by the Taliban, the court heard.

Addressing magistrates before his sentence, Meppen-Walter said: “I know what you are probably thinking and what everyone else is thinking.

“I will probably get called every named under the sun and I deserve it. I’m just embarrassed.”

Chairwoman of the bench Margaret Hutchinson said she hoped Meppen-Walter’s latest offence would be a “lesson” for him.

“Drink-driving is a very serious matter and the consequences could have been much graver than today,” she said.

Along with his driving ban, Meppen-Walter must also serve a 12-month community order, complete 80 hours of unpaid work and pay court costs totalling £170.

He indicated he wanted to take a drink-drive awareness course which would reduce his ban by 22 weeks.

Meppen-Walter, of Heywood, Greater Manchester, was signed by Carlisle United after completing his custodial sentence and is currently playing for Chorley FC in the National League North.

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