Ryan Giggs has denied claims from his ex-partner that he headbutted her after “completely losing his self-control” during an argument.
The former Manchester United footballer made the statement as he returned to the witness box on Thursday for a second day of cross-examination from prosecutor Peter Wright QC.
Giggs, 48, headbutted Ms Greville, 38, at his home in Worsley, Greater Manchester, on November 1, 2020, prosecutors claim.
Mr Wright asked Giggs about the prepared statement he gave to police the day after the incident, in which he said a “scuffle” broke out over Ms Greville’s phone, and that his head clashed with hers accidentally.
“The reality is you headbutted her, didn’t you?” the prosecutor said.
“No,” said Giggs.
“Because in this dispute with her, you had, by that stage, completely lost your self-control,” Mr Wright said.
“No,” Giggs repeated.
He also denied threatening to headbutt Ms Greville’s sister, Emma.
Ryan Giggs through the years - in pictures
The ex-Wales manager told the court he “didn’t know” why he had put in his police statement: “On both occasions I was attacked.”
He agreed with Mr Wright that it was “an important assertion to be making”.
Giggs was also asked about the line in his statement: “The last thing I would ever want to do is harm her [Ms Greville] emotionally or physically.”
Asked by Mr Wright if that was true, Giggs said: “Yes.”
“Or is it, in fact, that these are the two things you did intend so far as this woman is concerned?” Mr Wright said.
“No,” Giggs replied.
He agreed with Mr Wright that after the “scuffle” he had been “chastising” Emma Greville for calling the police.
“You were blaming her for what had happened, weren’t you?” Mr Wright said.
“Yes,” Giggs replied.
“Why were you blaming Emma?” asked Mr Wright.
“I don’t know,” said Giggs.
Mr Wright reminded him of the emergency 999 call Emma Greville made from the house, which started with her saying: “Assault. Headbutted her.”
“Who assaulted who?", asked the call operator, with Giggs heard in the background using an expletive.
“You could hear her speaking on the phone?” Mr Wright asked Giggs.
“Yes,” said Giggs.
“Why didn’t you say ‘that’s rubbish’ or ‘what are you talking about?’” said Mr Wright.
“I don’t know,” Giggs replied.
“Or why didn’t you say ‘it was an accident’?” added Mr Wright.
“I don’t know,” said Giggs.
Ex-Manchester United footballer Ryan Giggs pleads not guilty to assault charges - video
Emma Greville went on to say in the 999 call: “He has just headbutted her in the face ... You have headbutted my sister.”
“You were seeking to persuade her not to make the complaint?” Mr Wright said to Giggs in court.
“Yes,” said Giggs.
“Why?” asked Mr Wright.
“I don’t know,” said Giggs.
“What you did, I suggest, was you sought to use emotional influence on her, didn’t you?” said Mr Wright.
“No,” Giggs replied.
“Emotional blackmail, wasn’t it?” Mr Wright said.
“No,” said Giggs.
Mr Wright said Emma Greville also said during the 999 call: “I don’t care if your daughter is 17. I don’t care about your daughter.”
“You were seeking here to dissuade her from making that complaint?” he asked Giggs.
“Yes,” said Giggs.
Mr Wright went on: “And you were seeking to use your daughter as the lever?”
“Yes,” said Giggs.
“Why?” said Mr Wright.
“I don’t know,” Giggs replied.
The former Wales boss agreed with Mr Wright that his “demeanour had changed” by the time police arrived and first spoke to him in the hallway of his house.
“Why the change?” asked Mr Wright.
“I don’t know,” said Giggs.
“You are a completely changed man by then. Why?” said Mr Wright.
“I don’t know,” replied Giggs.
Mr Wright reminded Giggs that he told an officer: “I have hit her in the lip.”
“Why not say it was an accident?” asked the prosecutor.
“I don’t know,” said Giggs.
“Why not say ‘my mouth or my head or my face has caught her lip?” said Mr Wright.
“I don’t know,” Giggs responded.
“I’m going to suggest you were saying what had happened, Mr Giggs, because you had assaulted her, hadn’t you?” added Mr Wright.
“No,” Giggs replied.
He is on trial at Manchester Crown Court where he denies using controlling and coercive behaviour against Kate Greville between August 2017 and November 2020, assaulting her, causing actual bodily harm, and the common assault of her younger sister Emma, 26, by elbowing her in the jaw.
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The bio
Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.
Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.
Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.
Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.
Another way to earn air miles
In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.
An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.
“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.
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Launch year: In 2016 ekar launched and signed an agreement with Etihad Airways in Abu Dhabi. In January 2017 ekar launched in Dubai in a partnership with the RTA.
Number of employees: Over 50
Financing stage: Series B currently being finalised
Investors: Series A - Audacia Capital
Sector of operation: Transport
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Race card
5pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m; 5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m
6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m; 6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 (PA) 1,400m
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Price, base / as tested From Dh173,775 (base model)
Engine 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo, AWD
Power 249hp at 5,500rpm
Torque 365Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Gearbox Nine-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined 7.9L/100km
Racecard
5.25pm: Etihad Museum – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,200m
6pm: Al Shindaga Museum – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (Dirt) 1,200m
6.35pm: Poet Al Oqaili – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,400m
7.10pm: Majlis Ghurfat Al Sheif – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,600m
7.45pm: Hatta – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,400m
8.20pm: Al Fahidi – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 2,200m
8.55pm: Zabeel Trophy – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (T) 1,600m
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If you go
The flights
Emirates (www.emirates.com) and Etihad (www.etihad.com) both fly direct to Bengaluru, with return fares from Dh 1240. From Bengaluru airport, Coorg is a five-hour drive by car.
The hotels
The Tamara (www.thetamara.com) is located inside a working coffee plantation and offers individual villas with sprawling views of the hills (tariff from Dh1,300, including taxes and breakfast).
When to go
Coorg is an all-year destination, with the peak season for travel extending from the cooler months between October and March.
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
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The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
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Scoreline
Abu Dhabi Harlequins 17
Jebel Ali Dragons 20
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