LONDON (CMC)

Former Reggae Boyz striker Marlon King has been handed an 18-month jail sentence for dangerous driving.

The 34-year-old caused a three-car smash-up on the A46 in Nottinghamshire last year April, which left one of the drivers involved nursing a broken arm. The court heard King had been eating an ice cream at the wheel when he caused a three-car pile up on the A46 in Nottinghamshire last April.

The judge also handed King a three-year driving ban.

King, who pleaded guilty in March to the charge of dangerous driving, was also banned from driving for three years.

"I do not regard your case as merely impulsive or silly behaviour. It was aggressive. It was arrogant," said judge Paul Mann.

The court heard that King had been weaving in and out of traffic before proceeding to overtake a VW Polo driven by Martin Beck, on the inside lane. King braked suddenly, forcing Beck to perform an emergency stop. A third car then slammed into the Polo.

King drove off but was called back to the scene by a witness. Beck had to be cut from the car and airlifted to hospital.

Reports in the British media said Beck underwent surgery for a broken arm and spent three weeks in hospital.

King is no stranger to the courts, having served an 18-month sentence in 2009 for sexual assault. He was also imprisoned in 2002 for handling a stolen vehicle.

The frontman has played for Birmingham City, Nottingham Forest, Coventry City, Hull City, Leeds United, Middlesbrough and more recently, Sheffield United.

He was released from Sheffield United in December last year and has not played since.