Giggs is also accused of attacking Kate Greville’s younger sister
Ryan Giggs “deliberately headbutted” his ex-girlfriend, a court was told on Monday, as the former Manchester United player stood trial accused of attacking and controlling his ex-partner and assaulting her sister.
The 48-year-old is alleged to have used controlling and coercive behaviour against Kate Greville between August 2017 and November 2020, and of assaulting the 36-year-old causing her actual bodily harm.
He is also charged with the common assault of her younger sister, Emma Greville, at his home in Worsley, Greater Manchester, on 1 November 2020.
Prosecutor Peter Wright QC detailed events from the alleged attack on 1 November at the Minshull Street Crown Court.
Kate Greville is said to have told her sister she intended to leave Giggs before he returned home, but he arrived and began arguing with her, Sky News reported.
“The argument became heated. He tried to grab her phone,” Wright said.
The prosecutor said Giggs pushed Greville to the ground, causing bruising to her arm, and they were grappling on the floor when her sister stepped in to prevent further violence.
Wright alleges that Giggs then “deliberately elbowed” Emma Greville before he “entirely lost his self-control” and “deliberately headbutted” his former partner.
He also told the court how Giggs would “harass” Greville when she was out with friends and would “threaten to send images… of a personal nature to her friends and work colleagues” and would also sent messages via her friends.
“This was obsessive behaviour for him to get what he wanted,” Wright said.
He told the jury that Giggs “physcially threw” Greville and her belongings out of an address when she challenged him and also assaulted her during an argument in a bedroom.
Giggs, 48, has denied all of the charges.
The 10-day trial, which was set to begin in January but was put off due to delays, began Monday at the Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court, but will continue Tuesday at Manchester Crown Court.
Giggs stood down as manager of the Wales national football team in June following a period of leave since November 2020.
In a statement, he said he did not want the country’s preparations for this year’s World Cup in Qatar to be “affected, destabilised or jeopardised in any way by the continued interest around this case”.
Giggs said it was “only right that the Wales FA, the coaching staff and the players prepare for the tournament with certainty, clarification and without speculation around the position of their head coach”.
He added: “Whilst I am confident in our judicial process, I had hoped that the case would have been heard earlier to enable me to resume my managerial responsibilities.
“Through nobody’s fault the case has been delayed.
“I do not want the country’s preparations for the World Cup to be affected, destabilised or jeopardised in any way by the continued interest around this case.”
During Giggs’ time at Old Trafford, Manchester United won 13 Premier League titles, two Champions League trophies, four FA Cups and three League Cups.
He won 64 caps for Wales and is co-owner of League Two side Salford City.
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