Former Manchester City youth player and ex-England under-18 captain Courtney Meppen-Walter dies at 32

Courtney Meppen-Walter, a former Manchester City youth player and one-time England under-18 captain, has died at the age of 32. His former club Bury announced the news on social media, saying it was “deeply saddened” to learn of his passing. The cause and circumstances of his death have not been released.

“The thoughts and condolences of everyone at Bury FC are with his family and friends at this incredibly difficult time,” the club said in a statement. Meppen-Walter had been released by Bury the previous summer.

Beyond his time at Manchester City’s academy, Meppen-Walter had a career that took in spells at Carlisle United, Chorley, Stockport County, and Telford United.

Meppen-Walter’s life was defined in large part by a fatal crash in central Manchester in 2012. He was at the wheel of his grandfather’s Mercedes C220 saloon, travelling at nearly double the 30mph speed limit, when he struck a Nissan Micra pulling out from a side street. The court heard he had been “jockeying” and “playing games” with a friend in a second vehicle before the collision.

The two occupants of the Nissan — Kulwant Singh, 32, and his sister Ravel Kaur, 37 — were both killed. The pair had come to the United Kingdom in 2001 after fleeing persecution by the Taliban. Ms Kaur’s two teenage sons, who were seated in the back of the car, were injured in the crash; the collision left them orphans, as their father had previously been killed in Afghanistan.

Meppen-Walter was jailed in 2013 for causing death by dangerous driving and served half of his 16-month sentence. He was given a trial by Carlisle United just days after his release from prison.

In 2019, he received a 22-month driving ban after being caught drink-driving — more than twice the legal limit — following a night out at a Christmas market. CCTV footage showed his car swerving on the road. At sentencing, Meppen-Walter told the judge: “I know what you are probably thinking and what everyone else is thinking. I will probably get called every name under the sun and I deserve it. I’m just embarrassed.”