Unfinished business – cleared Ryan Giggs ‘hoping to revive career in football’

Giggs left the Wales job in the run-up to last year’s World Cup while facing trial.

Former Manchester United winger Ryan Giggs will no longer face a retrial (Peter Powell/PA) (PA Archive)

Former Manchester United winger and Wales boss Ryan Giggs is hoping to revive his career in the game after being cleared of domestic violence allegations made by his ex-girlfriend.

Giggs, who left the Wales job in the run-up to the last World Cup while facing trial, has “unfinished business” in football, a source close to the former player said.

The 49-year-old was said to be “relieved” at being found not guilty of domestic violence allegations made by his ex-girlfriend Kate Greville after prosecutors offered no evidence and withdrew the prosecution on Tuesday at Manchester Crown Court.

A source said: “His intention is to resume his managerial and coaching career. He’s got unfinished business in the game.

He’s been found not guilty and wants to get back into the game. He’s football through and through

“The last three years his life has been put on hold, but he’s a huge football man.

“He’s been found not guilty and wants to get back into the game. He’s football through and through.”

Greville told police and lawyers she did not want to go through the ordeal of a second trial after jurors failed to reach verdicts in the high-profile first trial last year, the court heard.

Lawyers said there was no longer any realistic prospect of conviction and it was not in the public interest for Giggs to go on trial for a second time over allegations made by Ms Greville and her sister Emma.

Peter Wright KC, prosecuting, offered no evidence against Giggs, who was not present for the 20-minute hearing as the allegations were formally dropped.

Judge Hilary Manley entered “not guilty” verdicts on the charges of coercive and controlling behaviour and assault against Kate Greville and common assault of her sister.

Giggs had been accused of controlling behaviour over a three-year period involving Greville.

He was also accused of assault by “losing control” and headbutting Kate Greville and the common assault of Emma Greville by elbowing her in the jaw, during a row at his home in Worsley, Greater Manchester, on November 1 2020.

Giggs denied the offences and underwent a month-long trial, ending last August when the jury failed to reach any verdicts, and a retrial was scheduled to begin on July 31.

But on Tuesday, Wright told Manchester Crown Court that the case had been considered at the highest levels at the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and a decision had been made not to proceed with a second trial.

Wright said Giggs’ ex-girlfriend Kate Greville had “indicated an unwillingness” to give evidence in a retrial as giving evidence in the first trial had “taken its toll” on her and her sister Emma.

Wright said: “This is not a decision taken lightly.”

Chris Daw KC, defending Giggs, said: “Mr Giggs is deeply relieved the prosecution has finally come to an end after almost three years in which he’s been fighting throughout to clear his name.

“He has always been innocent of these charges – there’s been very, very many lies told about him in court.”

At a series of hearings earlier this year, the court was told of difficulties the prosecution had faced in proceeding with the retrial.

These included Kate Greville’s reluctance to now go through with a second trial.

Earlier this month, Wright, at a court hearing which could not be reported at the time, said: “What she (Greville) has indicated is a wish not to give evidence by reason of her own mental and physical wellbeing, so seriously affected by the process.

“You may recollect at the previous trial for example she gave evidence over a considerable period of time, cross-examined for what was three days, and during the course of that process she was both visibly distressed, weary, and expressed the view that she had felt violated by the defendant’s conduct and in giving evidence while maintaining her account, demonstrating a growing frustration in terms of the process.”

Wright added: “What is underlying this is the further general principal consideration of the prosecution of the alleged abusive men so far as coercive and controlling behaviour is considered, the wearing down of complainants, is not to be interpreted by the public and by men as a passport to an acquittal – is that underlying question of considerable public interest that we are continuing with.”

But Daw, defending Giggs, told the hearing: “As it stands, the prosecution has no case.

“The position we submit is: what matters is the interests of justice.

“What we have here is an attempt to cobble together a case built on hearsay and an unwilling witness almost three years after the event.

“This is not about the public interest.”

A spokeswoman for the CPS said: “It is not the function of the CPS to decide whether a person is guilty of a criminal offence, but to make fair, independent and objective assessments about whether it is appropriate to present charges for the criminal court to consider.”

During Giggs’ time at Old Trafford, Manchester United won 13 Premier League titles, two Champions League trophies, four FA Cups and three League Cups.

Giggs stood down as Wales manager following a period of leave since November 2020. He won 64 caps for Wales and is co-owner of Sky Bet League Two side Salford.