Footballer back behind bars

Police said Meppen-Walter was "erroneously released" from prison yesterday. He was visited by police officers at his home address last night and, once officially informed of the mistake, voluntarily returned to prison in Lancaster, where he will now serve the remainder of his sentence.

A footballer who killed two people in a car crash and was released from jail by mistake is back in custody, police said.

Ex-Manchester City youth player and England Under-18 captain Courtney Meppen-Walter walked free from prison yesterday after serving just a quarter of his 16-month sentence.

Greater Manchester Police was informed by the Prison Service of the mistake and efforts were made to return the 18-year-old to custody.

A police spokesman confirmed that the player was back behind bars this morning.

Solicitors representing the widow of a man killed in a crash with ex-Manchester City youth player Courtney Meppen-Walter said she has been caused 'distress and trauma' by his mistaken early release.

Kushwant is the widow of Kulwant Singh, 32, from Salford, who was killed with his sister, front-seat passenger Ravel Kaur, 37, from Cheetham Hill, Manchester.

• Read: Footballer freed by mistake

A Prison Service spokesman said ex-Manchester City youth player Courtney Meppen-Walter was released "in error" and added that such incidents are taken "extremely seriously".

Meppen-Walter wept in court when he was jailed at Manchester Crown Court on February 28.

• Read: Footballer freed by mistake

An inquiry was under way tonight after it emerged a footballer who killed two people in a car crash was released from jail by mistake.

Ex-Man City youth player and England under-18 captain Courtney Meppen-Walter walked free from prison today, just a quarter of the way into a 16-month sentence.

Greater Manchester Police has been informed by the Prison Service of the gaffe and efforts are being made to return the 18-year-old to custody.

Earlier, the widow of one of Meppen-Walter's victims said she was "devastated" to learn that the footballer was at liberty.

Read: Footballer freed by mistake

A former Manchester City youth footballer jailed for killing two people in a car crash was released from prison early by mistake, according to the Ministry of Justice.

Courtney Meppen-Walter had served a quarter of his 16 month jail sentence for causing the deaths of brother and sister Kulwant Singh and Ravel Kaur in September.

A widow says she is "devastated" by the early release of a footballer who killed her husband in a car crash after he served a quarter of his 16-month sentence in custody.

Ex-Manchester City youth player and England Under-18 captain Courtney Meppen-Walter wept when he was jailed on February 28.

Kushwant Kaur, widow of Kulwant Singh, said she felt "badly let down" by a criminal justice system that enabled his release after just four months.

The sentencing judge said he would serve half his sentence in custody but might be released earlier on an electronic tag.