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Ryan Giggs will not face retrial on domestic violence charges: Prosecutors drop case against ex Man United star after he was accused of controlling and coercive behaviour against ex Kate Greville, and of headbutting her and assaulting her sister during row
Ryan Giggs was this morning sensationally cleared of assaulting his ex-girlfriend Kate Greville after she declined to co-operate with a retrial.
The ex-Manchester United footballer, 49, was facing charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm over an alleged headbutt on Ms Greville, 38, plus further counts of coercive or controlling behaviour against her and common assault against her sister Emma.
But, in a 10-minute court hearing, the prosecution offered no evidence and Judge Hilary Manley said: ‘I formally enter not guilty verdicts in respect of each of the three counts.’
Giggs’ barrister Chris Daw KC said his client was ‘looking forward to rebuilding his life and career as an innocent man’.
Jurors had failed to reach a verdict following an original, 11-day trial last year, after 22 hours and 59 minutes’ deliberations. A retrial was scheduled to begin on July 31.
The charges against the ex-Manchester United footballer, 49, were withdrawn by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) at a hearing at Manchester Crown Court
Giggs had pleaded not guilty to controlling or coercive behaviour over a three-year period towards his ex-girlfriend Kate Greville (pictured), 38, between August 2017 and November 2020
The decision not to go ahead was revealed during the short pre-trial review hearing at Manchester Crown Court on Tuesday morning, with neither Giggs nor Ms Greville in attendance.
Peter Wright KC, prosecuting, said the original trial over the alleged assault at Giggs’ home in November 2020 was ‘a process that has taken its toll’ on PR consultant Ms Greville and her sister.
He said Ms Greville had ‘indicated an unwillingness’ to give evidence in a re-trial as doing so in the first had ‘taken its toll’ on her and her sister.
Mr Wright said: ‘This is not a decision taken lightly.’
He said there was no realistic prospect of conviction on count one, that of coercive and controlling behaviour, and it was no longer in the public interest to proceed to prosecute on the other charges of assault on Ms Greville and her sister.
He added: ‘That being the case, we formally offer no evidence on counts one, two and three.’
Judge Hilary Manley replied: ‘I formally enter not guilty verdicts in respect of those counts.’
Earlier, Mr Wright told the court the case had had a ‘long history’ and that the welfare of the complainants ‘are at the very centre of the decision-making process’.
Mr Wright said there had been ‘protracted’ efforts to find out why she was unwilling to co-operate with a second trial but prosecuting lawyers did not think it appropriate to issue a witness summons to compel her to give evidence for a second time.
Chris Daw KC, defending Giggs, who was not present in court, said: ‘Mr Giggs is deeply relieved the prosecution has finally come to an end after almost three years in which he’s been fighting throughout to clear his name.
During Giggs’s time at Old Trafford, Manchester United won 13 Premier League titles, two Champions League trophies, four FA Cups and three League Cups. (Pictured: Giggs in 2004 after scoring for Manchester United against Spurs)
‘He has always been innocent of these charges, there’s been very, very many lies told about him in court.
‘He’s now been found not guilty of all the charges and going forward would like to rebuild his life and career as an innocent man.’
During Giggs’s time at Old Trafford, Manchester United won 13 Premier League titles, two Champions League trophies, four FA Cups and three League Cups.
Giggs stood down as manager of the Wales national team following a period of leave since November 2020.
He won 64 caps for Wales and is co-owner of League Two side Salford.
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