Ryan Giggs has been acquitted of charges that he was a violent boyfriend who subjected his partner to years of psychological and, at times, physical abuse.
In a hearing at Manchester crown court, the case against Giggs was dropped and the judge, Hilary Manley, issued not-guilty verdicts in the three charges relating to his alleged behaviour towards Kate Greville.
Greville had informed the prosecution in May that she no longer wanted to give evidence because she felt “worn down” and “violated” by the process.
Giggs, the most decorated player in Manchester United’s history, had been charged with headbutting Greville when she tried to break off their relationship on November 1, 2020.
Giggs, 49, was also accused of using controlling and coercive behaviour towards Greville, ten years his junior, during a three-year period before the night of the alleged violence, and a separate offence of assaulting her younger sister, Emma in the same incident.
But the judge formally ended the proceedings after hearing that the Crown Prosecution Service had decided not to proceed in the wake of Greville’s “continuing refusal” to give evidence.
This follows a three-week trial last year that ended with the jury of seven women and four men being unable to reach a majority verdict.
Giggs, a 13-time Premier League champion, had been accused by the prosecution of committing “a litany of abuse, both physical and psychological, of a woman he professed to love”.
He denied all the charges and Sir Alex Ferguson, his former manager, was among the character witnesses who gave evidence. Under-cross examination, Giggs had broken down in tears as he recalled spending the night of his arrest in a police cell.
Giggs’ defence was that the alleged headbutt was an accidental clash of heads during a drunken argument after he, then the Wales national team manager, came back to his house in Worsley, Greater Manchester, to find Greville packing her belongings and planning to move out. His legal team argued Greville had repeatedly told lies about him after finding out about his serial cheating.
Giggs, who was not required to attend today’s hearing, stepped down as Wales manager in June last year, having not been directly involved with the team since his arrest. Chris Daw, the QC defending Giggs, told the court his client was “deeply relieved” by the decision: “The position is he has always been innocent of these charges. There have been very many lies told about him. In the course of this investigation and prosecution. Going forward, he now looks he rebuild his life and career as an innocent man.”
(Photo: Getty Images)
