Ryan Giggs is a “deeply relieved man,” his barrister told Manchester Crown Court on Tuesday morning, after prosecutors withdrew their case almost three years on from the night Britain’s most decorated footballer was accused of assaulting an ex-girlfriend and her sister at his home.
The 49-year-old, a 13-times Premier League winner at Manchester United, faced an initial trial last summer in which the jury could not reach verdicts on two separate accounts of assault and a charge of controlling and coercive behaviour against Kate Greville, a PR executive.
Prosecutors called for a retrial that was pencilled in for July 31 but this morning, at a review hearing at Manchester Crown Court, Judge Hillary Manley was informed by Peter Wright KC, on behalf of the crown, that the case was being withdrawn because neither complainant was willing to give evidence again.
“In this case, Miss Greville and her sister Emma gave evidence over a number of days in a case when there was considerable media and public interest, and it is that particularly that that’s taken its toll on them, in particular Kate Greville,” Mr Wright said.
He added there had been “protracted” efforts to find out why she was unwilling to cooperate 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.
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Ryan Giggs and former girlfriend Kate Greville, here in 2018 (BACKGRID)Judge Manley replied: “I formally enter not guilty verdicts in respect of those counts.”
Giggs was not present in court but speaking on his behalf, Chris Daw KC, 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.
“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.”
What happens next in the career of Giggs is unclear. He has a number of business interests, including investments in hotels, restaurants and League Two clubs Salford City, but before the arrest had been in what the court heard during his trial last summer was his “dream job”.
The 49-year-old had stood down as Wales boss a month the trial began having been placed on leave after his arrest in November 2020. He had said it was to ensure no distraction for the national side ahead of their first World Cup in more than half a century but there was an obvious personal cost for him.
Court artist sketch by Elizabeth Cook of former Manchester United footballer Ryan Giggs being questioned by Chris Daw QCDuring the trial Giggs’ private life was laid bare as the jury heard excerpts of raunchy love poems sent between the couple and their rows over the dishwasher.
The pair had first slept together in December 2014 when they were both married. She later left her husband Damian Burke and Giggs split from his wife Stacey when the affair was exposed in May 2016.
Last year Kate told the court their romance had felt like “a fairytale” and the jury heard details of their sex life, which included a message from Kate, saying: “I want you so badly, rough.”
He sent her photos of a paddle - a sex toy - and handcuffs from the lingerie firm Agent Provocateur, saying: “You asked me to be a bit more assertive.”
The court heard they also sent each other x-rated love poems and filmed intimate videos. In August 2017 Kate wrote: “Every day you do me proud not just because you are well endowed.” He replied saying she made him “feel as hard as a totem pole.”
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In December she wrote: “I’m thinking of all of the ways I’m going to make that gorgeous c*** of yours raise.”
And on New Year’s Eve he spelled out her surname, writing: “G for Gorgeous, R for Radiant, E for Extraordinary, V for Vivacious, I for Idolised (by me), L for Legs, L for Legs, E for Everything I have wanted.”
Ryan Giggs is a co-owner of Salford City FC after amassing a fortune during his Manchester United career (Daily Mirror/Andy Stenning)But the jury heard he also sent abusive messages, calling her a “horrible evil c***” and saying: “I don’t give a f*** about you”.
Kate claimed he was violent, throwing her naked from a hotel room on one occasion and hurling a laptop bag at her head on another. She said he bruised her wrist during a row in a Dubai hotel in 2017 but the court heard she told a pal the marks were caused by “rough sex”.
And in a message sent to Giggs, showing off her tan, she added: “My sex bruise is coming out nicely too!!”
The jury heard he sent her an email titled “blackmail”, which she said she did not open because she feared it was a sex tape. But it was a video of her dancing to Wham’s ‘Last Christmas’ and Giggs said it had been sent as a “joke”.
Kate said she had felt like a “slave” to the star’s every need and when she moved into his home in Worsley, Greater Manchester, during the covid lockdown, she described it as a “living hell”.
She said: “There were arguments, including one over how to load the dishwasher.He was making me feel like I was stupid the way I was loading it. It was never good enough and I had to do it exactly the way he wanted.”
Giggs left United after 30 years as a player and coach in 2016, and has since managed Wales (PA)Kate was planning to leave him and penned a letter, titled ‘The Final Goodbye’, in which she named a string of women he had allegedly been cheating with.
She said she was taking their dog, a cocker spaniel called Mac, and signed off with the words: “Goodbye Ryan, it’s been extremely emotional. K”
It was never sent but three days later, on November 1, 2020, she confronted him about the other women and claimed she was attacked during a row at his home.
In a tearful testimony from the witness box, she said: “He looked me straight in the eye and headbutted me in the face.”
Her sister Emma was also in the house and dialled 999. When she named Giggs, the operator replied: “OK, as in THE Ryan Giggs?”
Sir Alex Ferguson gave evidence during last summer's trial. (PA)
Kate Greville, the former girlfriend of Ryan Giggs. (TIM STEWART NEWS LIMITED)In the witness box the father of two admitted he was a “love cheat” who had never been faithful and was unable to resist “an attractive woman”. But he claimed he and Kate had “clashed heads” during a “tug of war” over their mobile phones.
And he sobbed as he spoke of being locked in a cell after his arrest, saying: “It was the worst experience of my life.”
Near the end of the trial, Sir Alex Ferguson, 80, delivered a glowing character reference on behalf of his former player, saying he had “a fantastic temperament” and he had never seen him lose his temper.
Mr Daw, defending Giggs, claimed Kate was a “scorned woman” who was furious at her boyfriend’s inability to remain faithful.
The father of two, who vehemently denied the charges from the outset, is now in a long-term relationship with lingerie model and former air hostess Zara Charles, 35.
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