Giggs ‘got drunk, headbutted his girlfriend then attacked her sister’
Star in court over alleged row at £1.7m home
RYAN Giggs drunkenly headbutted his girlfriend in a row at his £1.7million home, a court heard yesterday.
The ex-Manchester United footballer appeared in the dock accused of assaulting PR executive Kate Greville and her sister.
Giggs, 47, who is currently on a break from his job as manager of the Welsh national team, is also accused of controlling or coercive behaviour towards 37-year-old Miss Greville, who has since split from him.
Prosecutors allege that the abuse lasted almost three years in the runup to the alleged assaults in November last year. Giggs denied both the counts and was released on bail. The divorced father of two was arrested at his detached house in Worsley, Manchester, after the alleged incident on November 1.
He appeared at the city’s magistrates’ court charged with causing actual bodily harm to Kate Greville as well as the common assault of her younger sister Emma during the same alleged incident.
Giggs also faces an allegation that he engaged in controlling or coercive behaviour towards his ex-girlfriend, described in court as involving ‘ isolation, belittling, humiliation, harassment, degradation and abuse’.
Dressed in a navy blue suit and matching tie and with his face covered with a black mask, Giggs
‘He was in drink at the time’
arrived at court accompanied by his solicitor, Ian Lewis, and other members of his legal team.
Standing in the glass-panelled dock for the start of the 13-minute hearing, he confirmed his full name as Ryan Joseph Giggs, his address and his date of birth before the three charges were put to him.
Giggs answered ‘not guilty’ in response to the ABH and controlling or coercive behaviour counts.
He was not asked to enter a plea to the common assault charge but has previously said he denies the allegations.
Deputy senior district judge Tan Ikram then told Giggs to ‘take a seat’. Outlining brief details of the case against him, prosecutor Andrea Griffiths said the actual bodily harm count related to ‘a domestic assault to his then partner, Kate Greville’. She added: ‘It involved a deliberate headbutt to her, aggravated by the fact of the domestic background and the fact he was in drink at the particular time.’
Miss Griffiths also summarised the alleged controlling and coercive behaviour towards Miss Greville, which is alleged to have lasted almost between December 2017 and last November.
Releasing Giggs on bail, Judge Ikram agreed to send the case for trial at Manchester Crown Court, with an initial hearing next month.
In a statement after he was charged last Friday, Giggs said: ‘I will plead not guilty in court and look forward to clearing my name.’
If convicted, Giggs could face up to five years in jail on the ABH and coercive and controlling behaviour counts.
Common assault carries a maximum sentence of six months and/ or a fine of up to £5,000.
The decision to charge him guarantees that he will not manage Wales at this summer’s delayed Euro 2020 tournament.
After his arrest, it was ‘mutually agreed’ he would step away from his role. Giggs – father of two teenage children – went public over his relationship with Miss Greville in 2018 eight months after his divorce from the children’s mother, his exwife Stacey, 42.
He met Miss Greville while she was working on PR for his Hotel Football business venture.
Giggs later hired her as head of PR for GG Hospitality, the firm he owns with former Manchester United teammate Gary Neville.
The large gated house where the assaults are alleged to have taken place is in the same upmarket street as his six-bedroom former marital home.
Last week it emerged the mansion had been sold following two years on the market after £500,000 was cut from the £3.5million asking price.
Giggs played for Manchester United a club record 963 times over 23 years, winning 13 Premier Leagues titles, and made 64 appearances for Wales before taking over as coach in 2018.