Former Manchester United footballer and ex-Wales manager Ryan Giggs has been cleared of allegations that he assaulted his ex-girlfriend and her sister.
It comes after charges were withdrawn by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) at a hearing at Manchester Crown Court.
Mr. Giggs, 48, has always denied assault, controlling, or coercive behavior towards Kate Greville, 38, and assaulting her sister Emma. Judge Hilary Manley declaredhim not guilty on all three counts. The retrial was due to start at Manchester Crown Court on July 31. Jurors failed to reach a verdict following more than 20 hours of deliberation after his four-week trial in August last year.
Mr. Giggs was not in court on Tuesday, as the judge agreed he did not need to attend. Prosecutor Peter Wright KC told Manchester Crown Court that the CPS were not proceeding with the case. He said Kate Greville had "indicated an unwillingness" to give evidence in a retrial, as giving evidence in the first one had "taken its toll" on her and her sister. Mr. Wright said, "This is not a decision taken lightly.
"In this case, Ms. Greville and her sister Emma gave evidence over a number of days in a case with considerable media and public interest. It is that which has taken its toll on them, especially Kate Greville."
Mr. Wright said there had been "protracted" efforts to find out why she was unwilling to cooperate with a second trial. However, the prosecuting lawyers did not think it appropriate to issue a witness summons to compel her to give evidence a second time.
He said there was no realistic prospect of conviction on count one of coercive and controlling behavior. It was no longer in the public interest to prosecute the other charges of assault against Ms. Greville and her sister. He added: "That being the case, we formally offer no evidence on counts one, two, and three".
'Rebuild his life and career.
His defense barrister, Chris Daw KC, said: "Mr. Giggs is deeply relieved that the case has finally ended after almost three years of fighting to clear his name. "He now intends to rebuild his life and career as an innocent man."
The former footballer denied "losing control" and headbutting his ex-girlfriend and assaulting Ms. Greville's sister, Emma, 26, by elbowing her in the jaw during a row at his home in Worsley, Greater Manchester, on November 1, 2020.
Mr. Giggs was due to appear on trial for a second time, facing the same charges, after the jury in the first trial was discharged. The jury was made up of 11 people—seven women and four men—after one of the original 12 jurors fell ill.
During the trial, Mr. Giggs admitted to being unfaithful in relationships. However, when asked if he had ever physically assaulted a woman, he said "no", adding that he had never tried to control or coerce a woman.
The trial heard of the alleged assault on November 1, 2020, at his home in Worsley, Greater Manchester. The couple returned following a row at dinner in which she accused Mr. Giggs of messaging a string of women. Jurors heard the pair tussle over their mobile phones, leading Emma Greville, who looked after the couple's dog, to call the police. He denied the accusations and alleged Kate Greville kicked him in the head.
'Our legal test is no longer met.
A CPS spokesperson said: "At all stages, we keep cases under careful review to ensure our legal test is met. This means there must be a realistic prospect of conviction based on the available evidence, and a prosecution is in the public interest. "Following a recent change in circumstances in this case, we have determined our legal test is no longer met.
"We have determined that there is no longer sufficient evidence available to proceed with the controlling or coercive behavior charge. We have also determined that it is no longer in the public interest to prosecute the remaining assault charges.
"This decision was made following detailed discussions with Greater Manchester Police and consultation with the complainants. "It is not the CPS's function to decide whether a person is guilty of a criminal offense. Instead, it makes fair, independent, and objective assessments about whether it is appropriate to present charges for the criminal court to consider.
"We encourage any potential victims to come forward and report offenses to the police, and we will prosecute wherever our legal test is met." The Cardiff-born former player made 963 appearances for Manchester United, scoring 168 goals.
He also played 64 times for Wales, and managed his national team. He stepped away from his role in November 2020 after being arrested and resigned as manager in June 2022 while awaiting trial.
His replacement Robert Page took Wales to their first World Cup in 58 years in Qatar at the end of 2022.
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