Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
LAWYER: MAGUIRE’S TALE IS RIDICULOUS
Greeks rubbish footballer’s fear of ‘kidnappers’
A GREEK prosecutor has branded Harry Maguire’s account of his arrest in Mykonos as “ridiculous”.
The England player claims he feared he was being kidnapped when he was stopped by plain-clothes officers last week, and did not know the bus he was riding in was escorted to a police station.
But prosecution lawyer Ioannis Paradissis said yesterday: “Maguire claims he did not know [he] was outside a police station. It is obvious. There are police cars outside, a sign stating it is a police station, officers coming in and out. The only way you would not be able tell it was a police station is if you are drunk.
“But clearly he was not drunk, because according to him he was able to fight off men who he thought were kidnappers.” Mr Paradissis said he is waiting for the Man United star to apologise. He said: “Three policemen were injured.”
Maguire, 27, told the BBC the officers did not identify themselves when they pulled over the minibus he was in with pals. He claims he was attacked and tried to flee.
However the bus driver, Xristos Atridis, 26, has stated the officers did identify themselves. Maguire claims he had been trying to take his sister, Daisy, 20, to hospital. His lawyer claims she was injected with a drug by two strangers. Maguire said: “I don’t feel I owe an apology. An apology is something when you have done something wrong.” He tweeted yesterday: “Thanks for everyone’s support. I’m pleased to have had my say.” Maguire was found guilty of repeated bodily harm and attempted bribery at a trial in Greece and got a 21-month suspended jail term. He appealed and his conviction was nullified pending a retrial.