Domestic violence charges dropped against former Manchester United star Giggs

British Judiciary drops charges against former Manchester United star Ryan Giggs.

Manchester, UK - The British judiciary has dropped the charges against former Manchester United star Ryan Giggs, who was accused of violence against his ex-girlfriend and her sister, according to a statement by the prosecution on Tuesday.

Giggs (49 years old) was scheduled to stand trial for the second time on July 31 of this year after the previous trial, which lasted a month last year, ended without a jury verdict.

However, the prosecution announced on Tuesday during a preliminary hearing at Manchester Crown Court, North England, that the charges were being dropped.

Prosecutor Peter Wright confirmed that Giggs' former girlfriend, Kate Greville, who attended last year's hearings, "did not wish to testify" again.

"In this case, we do not officially present any evidence for the first, second, and third charges. This decision was not taken lightly," said Wright.

Judge Hilary Manley responded, "I hereby declare acquittals in relation to these charges."

Chris Daw, Giggs' lawyer, stated, "Mr. Giggs feels a profound relief as the proceedings have finally concluded after nearly three years of struggling to clear his name."

He continued, "He has always been innocent of these allegations, and there have been many lies told about him in court. It has been proven that he is not guilty of all the charges against him, and he now wishes to rebuild his life and innocent career as a man."

Giggs was accused of assaulting his former girlfriend, causing her physical harm, on November 1, 2020, when the police were called to his home in Manchester.

On the same day, Giggs was also charged with common assault against his younger sister Emma.

The former UEFA Champions League winner denied these allegations and pleaded not guilty, claiming that the injuries sustained by Greville were incidental to a three-way conflict involving her and her sister over a mobile phone.

The former international winger stepped down from his position as the manager of his national team in June of last year, citing that he did not want the "ongoing interest in this case" to affect the team as they prepared for the World Cup in Qatar.

Giggs took on the role of coaching his national team in January 2018 and helped them qualify for the European Championship, held in the summer of 2021. However, this legal case deprived him of leading the team in the continental finals.

Under the guidance of his former assistant, Rob Page, Wales qualified for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar for the second time in their history, having previously participated in the 1958 tournament in Sweden, but they were eliminated in the group stage.

 

 

 

 

 

AFP