Manchester United great, Ryan Giggs ‘deliberately headbutted’ ex-girlfriend Kate Greville during an altercation in November 2020, a prosecutor told Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court on Monday.
The 48-year-old ex-Wales manager, who appeared in court for the case’s opening day, has denied all charges filed against him by prosecutors.
Giggs, one of the iconic players to have plied their trade at Old Trafford and recently handled the Wales national team, is charged with controlling and coercive behaviour, and assault, stemming from alleged abuse of Greville between 2017 and 2020.
Listing the allegations made against Giggs, Prosecutor Peter Wright QC told the court that during a November 2020 incident, Giggs “entirely lost self-control and he deliberately headbutted [Greville], thereby causing swelling to her lips and bruising”.
Wright said that was just one instance of abuse over a three-year period, and that Giggs exhibited a pattern of “sinister” behaviour, adding that other allegations included a claim that Giggs intentionally elbowed Greville’s sister, Emma, and was regularly emotionally abusive towards his then-girlfriend.
Through defence lawyer Chris Daw QC, Giggs denied all charges, assuring the jurors that; “There were lines Mr Giggs would never cross”.
The trial, which is expected to last about 10 days, will relocate to Manchester Crown Court on Tuesday.
In the heat of Giggs’ abuse saga, the Wales Football Federation (WFF) suspended him as Head Coach in 2020, and he decided to officially quit his post in June. Rob Page has stepped up in Giggs’ absence to lead the nation to a first World Cup appearance since 1958.
“It is only right that the Wales FA, the coaching staff and the players prepare for the [World Cup] tournament with certainty, clarification and without speculation around the position of their head coach,” Giggs said in a statement announcing his resignation. – With Goal.com reports
