Marvin Ducksch has been banned from driving for 14 months and fined £16,155 after pleading guilty to driving his Mercedes with excess alcohol following a crash on the A3400 near Henley-in-Arden in Warwickshire. The 32-year-old Birmingham striker was involved in the collision at about 22:30 BST on 6 April, just hours after appearing as a substitute in his side's 2-1 defeat to Ipswich Town at Portman Road.

Leamington Spa Magistrates' Court also ordered Ducksch to pay £2,000 in compensation, a £2,000 surcharge and £85 in costs, after hearing he had 53mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath, above the legal limit of 35mcg. He lives in Solihull and has previously played for Werder Bremen and Borussia Dortmund.

The court heard that Ducksch stopped at the scene and checked on the other motorists after the crash. In a prepared statement to police, he said he was driving home and admitted that he did have alcohol before he drove. He also said he had clipped an oncoming car and another one following behind.

One of the female drivers involved suffered a nosebleed and injuries to her forehead and thumb. Julia Morgan told the court: “Mr Ducksch waited at the scene for the police.” She added: “They didn't arrive immediately but he waited and he checked on the welfare of the occupants of the other vehicles.”

Chairman of the bench John Kiely told Ducksch: “You can consider yourself lucky first of all that you weren't killed and secondly that the other drivers weren't killed.” The case brings an abrupt off-field setback for Birmingham, who signed him from Werder Bremen last summer, and leaves the club's forward facing a long spell away from the wheel after a night that could have ended far worse.