The 48-year-old is accused of assaulting, coercively controlling, and assaulting his sister’s girlfriend.
In a case that has thrown his managerial career into disarray, former Manchester United footballer Ryan Giggs is currently standing trial on charges of assaulting and controlling his ex-girlfriend in an abusive and coercive manner. These allegations surfaced during Giggs’ time playing for Manchester United.
The 48-year-old, who most recently served as Wales national team coach, has pleaded not guilty to the charges. He carry a maximum prison sentence of five years.
The jury trial began on Monday around 11 a.m. (10:00 a.m. GMT) at a crown court in Manchester presided over by judge Hilary Manley. She stated that the trial is scheduled to last two weeks but could last longer.
Giggs entered the courthouse with a solemn expression on his face, flanked by his legal team. Inside, he sat upright in the dock as lawyers and the judge discussed the trial’s timeline.
The first day was dedicated to deciding the final jury selection and hearing prosecution lawyer Peter Wright’s opening speech.
Wright informed the judge that the trial would include a compilation of security camera footage and body cam videos.
There were two assaults
Assaulting his ex-girlfriend Kate Greville, a 36-year-old public relations executive, and causing her actual bodily harm were the charges against Giggs when police were called to his Manchester home on November 1, 2020.
On the same day, the Welshman is also charged with common assault on her younger sister, Emma Greville.
He is also accused of coercive behavior toward Kate throughout their relationship, which began in 2017 and culminated in the alleged assault.
According to the charge, his actions toward Kate included “isolation, belittling, humiliation, harassment, degradation, and abuse.”
Giggs was arrested at his home by police in November 2020 and later released on bail.
In an initial court appearance in April of last year, he denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty.
His trial was scheduled to be started in January, but it was postponed due to a court case backlog caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
First two trials
Chris Daw, Giggs’ attorney, has represented a number of high-profile athletes in the past, including John Terry, the former captain of England and Chelsea football, who in 2012 was found not guilty of using racial slurs against another player, Anton Ferdinand.
After being on leave since his arrest, Giggs resigned as Wales manager in June.
He stated that he did not want the team’s preparations for this year’s FIFA World Cup in Qatar to be hampered by “continued interest in this case.”
He is still on conditional bail and has stated that he is looking forward to “clearing my name.”
Giggs finished his career at Old Trafford as the most decorated player in English football history.
Giggs played for Manchester United for 23 years, setting a club record with 963 appearances and winning a total of 13 Premier League championships and two Champions League trophies during that time.
After that, he began his career as a coach at Old Trafford, where he was put in charge of the team temporarily at the end of the 2013–14 season after David Moyes was fired. After that, he worked as an assistant coach under Louis van Gaal for two years.
Giggs was given the position of manager of Wales in January 2018, and he was instrumental in the nation’s qualification for Euro 2020, which will be the nation’s second appearance in a major tournament since the 1958 World Cup.
His trial begins shortly before another high-profile football case, that of Manchester City defender Benjamin Mendy.
The Frenchman is scheduled to stand trial in Chester, northwest England, on Wednesday for alleged rape and also assault in a case involving seven women.
City has suspended Mendy, who denies the allegations
