Ryan Giggs trial: what the former footballer said about his arrest over Kate Greville assault allegation

Ryan Giggs is giving evidence for the second day in his trial and told the court about his arrest
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Ryan Giggs broke down in tears as he told a court that spending the night in a police cell was “the worst experience of my life”.

Giggs was giving evidence for the second day at his trial.

He told the court he and his ex-partner “clashed heads” in a “sort of tug-of-war” after attempting to grab her phone during an argument.

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The former Manchester United footballer is accused of headbutting Kate Greville during the incident on 1 November, 2020.

Ryan Giggs is on trial at Manchester Crown Court.Ryan Giggs is on trial at Manchester Crown Court.
Ryan Giggs is on trial at Manchester Crown Court.

Giggs told jurors he would never headbutt her – telling the court he and Ms Greville “totally lost balance because we slipped on the shopping bags”.

He also broke down when asked about spending the night in a police cell after his arrest.

Giggs is on trial accused of assaulting 38-year-old Ms Greville and her younger sister, Emma Greville, 26, at his home in Worsley, Greater Manchester, on 1 November 2020.

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He is also accused of using controlling and coercive behaviour against his ex.

He denies the charges.

What did Giggs tell the court about 1 November, 2020?

Speaking about the incident, he said: “I was frustrated that Kate would not give me my phone back so I tried to get her phone.

“As I went to grab the phone I’m facing the cloakroom door and Kate has her back to that door.

“We both slipped on the bags and I fell on Kate into the cloakroom.”

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Giggs’ QC, Chris Daw, asked: “Was that deliberate on your part?”

Giggs said: “No, we just totally lost balance because we slipped on the shopping bags.

“My head was around her waist height. Then Kate just proceeded to kicking me in the head.”

“Did you do anything physical?” Mr Daw asked.

Giggs replied: “No, as soon as we were on the floor I was just protecting my head. After these six, seven kicks to the head, I just got up and we went our separate ways.”

What did he say about Emma Greville?

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Giggs said he did not see Emma Greville when the struggle took place.

Mr Daw asked: “Did you deliberately elbow Emma?” and Giggs replied: “No.”

The former Wales manager said he later found his phone on a window sill near the front door.

Continuing his questioning of Giggs, Mr Daw said: “Were they (the sisters) showing signs they were willing to leave?”

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He replied: “Not really, no. Mac (Giggs’s dog) was still running about.”

Giggs said he later discovered Kate Greville’s phone in the utility room and put it in his trouser pocket, adding: “It was tit for tat. If she was going to take my phone, I was going to take her phone.

“She said she wanted her phone back and I said I was not giving it back.

“Stupidly I kept on to her phone. Then Kate sort of grabbed my wrist while my hand was in my pocket and led me to the fridge.”

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Giggs told the court: “I was not resisting. We went all around the kitchen island.”

Mr Daw asked: “How far did the two of you get around the island?”

Giggs replied: “All the way round up to the dining room table and chairs.

“Kate had then stopped because her back was against the chair and table.

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“The tugging just got a little bit more aggressive… we were facing each other, it was sort of tug-of-war and we then clashed heads.

“It happened really quickly. I felt my lips against hers.”

Mr Daw asked: “What was her reaction?”

Giggs said: “I could see quite clearly she had been hurt. She just fell backwards, more towards the table.”

What did he say about the alleged headbutt?

Mr Daw asked him: “Who was becoming more aggressive?”

Giggs said: “Kate got more aggressive because she was not getting any joy from getting my wrist from my pocket.”

“Did she (Kate Greville) say anything at that point?”

“No.”

“Did she say anything after that to say what had happened?”

“She accused me of hitting her in the face. She accused me of headbutting her.”

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“Did you at any stage put your hands on Kate’s shoulders and forcefully and deliberately headbutt her in the face?”

“No, I did not.”

“Would you ever do such a thing?”

“No.”

Mr Daw asked Giggs how he felt about the implications of being accused in this way.

Giggs said: “Confused, scared. Because it now looked like a situation that was completely different. I was scared.”

What did he say about his arrest?

He told the court he was taken to Pendleton police station after being arrested on suspicion of assaulting his ex-partner on November 1 2020.

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Asked by Chris Daw QC how he engaged with the police when they arrived at his home in Worsley, Greater Manchester, Giggs said: “Just answered their questions.”

On his emotional state at the time, he said: “I was scared. I’d never been in that position before, so scared.”

Giggs confirmed he was arrested, taken to the police station and spent the night in a cell.

He then started crying as he said it was the “worst experience of my life”.

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Giggs told the court he got “hardly any” sleep that night and spoke to a solicitor for the first time the next day.

What else was said during his evidence?

Giggs agreed with prosecutor Peter Wright QC, cross-examining, there was a “world of difference” between how someone may behave in their personal life and how they may behave in their professional life.

Mr Wright said: “The reality here, isn’t it, that there is a very different side to Ryan Giggs?”

Giggs said: “No.”

Mr Wright said: “There is the Ryan Giggs the public knows, and there is the Ryan Giggs that you know, isn’t there?”

“No,” said Giggs.

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The barrister asked the defendant if he would describe what the jury heard on the 999 call made on the night of 1 November as the “angry Ryan Giggs”.

“No,” said Giggs.

Mr Wright asked: “What would you describe it as?”

Giggs said: “Scared.”

Mr Wright said: “Scared of what?”

Giggs said: “Of the police being called.”

He also asked him: “Would you consider yourself to be a jealous type?”

Giggs replied: “On occasions.”

Mr Wright said: “Hot-headed?”

“No,” said Giggs.

Mr Wright said: “Really?” He asked Giggs if he agreed that some messages between him and Kate Greville were consistent in terms of “someone completely losing their temper”.

Giggs said: “On occasion.”

Mr Wright asked him to explain why he referred to Kate Greville in one e-mail as “c**t”.

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Giggs said: “I was emotional and there was no excuse for my language.”

Mr Wright said: “That’s an excuse, not an explanation. My question was why?”

Giggs said: “Because I was angry.”

Mr Wright said: “Do you consider yourself to be hot-headed?”

Giggs replied: “On occasions.”

The trial continues.