A British court on Tuesday heard ex-girlfriend of former Manchester United star Ryan Giggs tearfully tell of years of “aggressive” and manipulative behavior by the footballer during his trial for assaulting and forcibly controlling her. On the second day of the high-profile trial, the jury watched footage of a police interview with Giggs’ former partner Kate Greville given in November 2020 after police were called to the couple’s home following an incident. Sometimes she tearfully described what she called a “pattern” of controlling behavior and said it had driven her to suicide at one point.
Giggs, 48, who until recently coached the Wales national team, was in the dock at Manchester Crown Court on Tuesday. He denies the charges, which could lead to a five-year prison term.
The jury heard that Giggs subjected his former partner to a “litany of abuse, both physical and psychological”, revealing a “sinister side to his character”.
Greville, 36, a PR agent who got to know Giggs through her job, said she was “infatuated with him” but “there were definitely red flags from the start.” The prosecution says that on November 1, 2020, Giggs deliberately headbutted Greville, bruised her lip, and also deliberately shoved her sister in the jaw when she intervened.
Giggs’ attorney Chris Daw said Monday the footballer “used no unlawful force”, while his client acknowledged that his conduct was “far from perfect morally”.
Greville gave her numerous suspicions of his infidelity, saying that Giggs repeatedly responded with aggressive denial, blocking her number and giving her the “silent treatment” before begging to come back with her.
‘Constant struggle’
“It was like a constant battle, mentally. I started to get the most terrible fear,” she said.
She described an argument early in their relationship in 2017 when the couple were at a hotel and he “literally turned around”, grabbed her by the arm and dragged her naked into the hallway where he threw out the contents of her suitcase.
“That was the first time he was aggressive with me; he was verbally aggressive,” she said.
Greville said during the police interrogation that she had felt suicidal at one point. “I really felt like I didn’t want to go any further,” she said, crying.
She said she initially saw Giggs as her “savior”, when they met, she was married to a man who controlled her finances and had a drinking problem.
But Giggs had made her feel “paranoid” about her own perception of their relationship, she said, causing her to question whether she was “a psychopath.”
“I was just naive, I was just vulnerable, I guess,” she added.
A dazzling teenage talent, Giggs finished his career at Old Trafford as the most decorated player in English football history. As a player, he made a club record of 963 appearances over 23 years for Manchester United, winning 13 Premier League titles and two Champions League trophies.
promoted
He then began his coaching career at Old Trafford, where he temporarily took charge at the end of the 2013-14 season after David Moyes was sacked, before working as an assistant to Louis van Gaal for two years.
Giggs was appointed boss of Wales in January 2018, helping them qualify for Euro 2020, just their second major tournament appearance since the 1958 World Cup.
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