‘We were like a pair of squabbling teenagers’
RYAN Giggs accepts that he and ex-girlfriend Kate Greville behaved like ‘squabbling teenagers’ during their relationship, his barrister told jurors yesterday.
But there were ‘lines he would never cross’, Chris Daw QC added, saying that Giggs ‘never once used unlawful violence’ against her during their relationship, ‘no matter how bad things got’.
Delivering an opening statement to the jury, Mr Daw said Giggs fully accepts that his behaviour – on a moral level – at times during their time together was ‘far from perfect’.
The defendant also acknowledges that he did not always handle their arguments ‘in the best possible way’ and the jury may think the couple behaved like ‘squabbling teenagers’ in their numerous
‘Mere minor and accidental contact’
message exchanges, Mr Daw said.
However much of the evidence jurors would hear amounted to ‘exactly the sort of thing that goes on between arguing couples day in, day out’, he told them.
Addressing the night of the alleged assault, Mr Daw said the accusations were ‘based on distortion, exaggerations and lies’. ‘He assaulted no one,’ he added. Mr Daw said that in the weeks before the incident, Miss Greville had ‘said to her friends that she was determined not to walk away from the relationship with nothing’.
He alleged while they were ‘tussling’ over her phone, both tripped and fell, and Miss Greville kicked him in the face as he tried to disentangle himself. Mr Daw said Giggs was not aware her sister was in the house at the time and certainly did not elbow her, as alleged.
The alleged headbutt was ‘not only a nasty lie but a ridiculous one’, he said, as the evidence will show there was mere ‘minor and accidental contact’ between their faces.
Denying the prosecution claim that Giggs subjected Miss Greville to controlling and coercive behaviour, Mr Daw pointed out she had been earning a sixfigure salary during the relationship – assisted by his introducing ‘most of her clients’ to her. She kept her own apartment and was free to travel and see friends, he added, saying that in ‘stark contrast to the picture painted by Miss Greville, Mr Giggs did not control or coerce at all’.
Telling jurors they were not there to judge Giggs on ‘the morals of infidelity’, he urged them: ‘Keep your eye on the ball.’