By AFP.
Former Manchester United star Ryan Giggs has been acquitted of all charges related to domestic abuse. Giggs, 48, was cleared of allegations of head-butting his ex-girlfriend and subjecting her to controlling and coercive behavior. The decision comes after Giggs’ ex-girlfriend, Kate Greville, withdrew her cooperation, leading to the collapse of the scheduled retrial.
During the hearing, Giggs was found not guilty of charges related to controlling and coercive behavior, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and common assault. The presiding judge, Hilary Manley, entered not guilty verdicts on these counts. The prosecution had accused Giggs of a pattern of abuse against Greville, both physically and psychologically.
The Incident in question took place at Giggs’ residence in November 2020, where Greville confronted him about alleged relationships with other women during their time together. Giggs maintained that the head-butt was accidental and denied assaulting Greville throughout their relationship. His defense argued that the allegations against him were unfounded.
In a surprising development, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) announced that it would not proceed with the case. Prosecutor Peter Wright KC explained that Greville expressed unwillingness to testify in a retrial due to the toll the initial trial had taken on her and her sister.
As a result, the CPS offered no evidence on the charges of coercive and controlling behavior, as well as assault on Greville and her sister. The judge formally entered not guilty verdicts for these counts.
