The jury in the trial of former manchester united Prosecutors told winger Ryan Giggs, who faces charges of assaulting his ex-girlfriend and her sister, that he had a “sinister” side.
Giggs, 48, who resigned as manager of the Wales national team Due to the case, he faces charges of causing actual bodily harm to his former partner Kate Greville and beating her younger sister Emma. He also faces a charge of coercive and controlling behavior.
The former footballer, who sat on the bench in a dark suit, pleaded not guilty to the charges. and his defense said the accusations were “based on distortion, exaggeration and lies.”
Opening the case for the prosecution, Peter Wright QC said there was a stark contrast between Giggs, the player, and the way he had behaved with his girlfriend in a “toxic relationship”.
“On the pitch, his abilities were abundant and a thing of beauty. Off the pitch and in the privacy of his personal life and home and behind closed doors, there was a much uglier and more sinister side to his character,” he said. .
Wright said the case involved “a litany of abuse, both physical and psychological, of a woman he professed to love.
“The systematic and sometimes violent abuse of a woman is what this case is about, all the while taking advantage of her.”
The prosecutor described an incident in which Giggs head-butted Greville and “deliberately elbowed” his sister.
Giggs is out on bail on the condition that he have no contact with any of the women and not go to any address where he thinks they might be.
Giggs was first arrested in the case and released on bail in November 2020.
Giggs’ defense, Chris Daw QC, said he “never used unlawful violence against Kate Greville”, saying the couple “behaved like fighting children”.
He said Giggs acknowledged that there was “minor and accidental contact” during a fight over a mobile phone, but denied that there was a deliberate headbutt, saying “it was not remotely a criminal assault.”
Daw told the jury that former United manager Alex Ferguson and Giggs’ former teammate Gary Neville will be heard “somehow” during the trial.
Giggs was replaced as Wales manager after initially stepping down at the end of 2020 due to the case. Rob Page took charge of the team that qualified for November’s World Cup final in Qatar.
Giggs made 963 appearances over 23 years for Manchester United as a player, a club record, winning a host of honors including 13 Premier League titles and two UEFA Champions League trophies.
He represented Wales as a player 64 times between 1991 and 2007 and took over as national team manager in 2018.
Giggs has not managed a Wales game since his arrest in November 2020, with his last match coming in a 1-0 Nations League win against Bulgaria.
He was originally scheduled to face trial in January, but the case was delayed due to a court backlog made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Information from the Associated Press was also included in this report.
