Ryan Giggs admits trying to 'dispose' of ex's phone when police were called was 'act of stupidity'
Ryan Giggs arrive at Manchester Crown Court for a second day of cross-examination
Ryan Giggs has said trying to “dispose” of his ex girlfriend’s phone when police were called after an altercation was an “act of stupidity”.
The former Wales manager and Manchester United footballer is on trial accused of assaulting his 38-year-old ex-girlfriend Kate Greville, and her younger sister Emma Greville, at his home.
He is also accused of using controlling and coercive behaviour against Kate Greville, a PR executive.
Giggs entered the witness box again on Thursday, wearing a navy blue suit and striped tie.
The prosecuting counsel Peter Wright QC began by asking the former Wales captain and manager to return to the events of the night of Novemeber 2020 at his home in Worsley, Greater Manchester.
In his first pre-prepared statement the following morning, Giggs told police that after the row broke out between him, his ex-girlfriend Kate Greville and her sister Emma, he was about to ring the police. Asked in court if that was ever his intention, Giggs said no.
Peter Wright QC asked: “Why did you say you were going to ring the police?”
Giggs responded: “I don’t know.”
Mr Wright continued: “I’m going to suggest you were seeking to create a narrative that sought to give the impression you were the victim, not them. You were the one who’d been attacked, not them.”
Giggs replied: “No.”
Mr Wright asked if what Mr Giggs referred to as a “scuffle” had been a dispute over phones that ended in violence.
Mr Wright asked: “You headbutted her, didn’t you?”
Giggs replied: “No”
Mr Wright continued: “Because at that stage of the dispute, you had completely lost your self control?”
Giggs said: “No”
Mr Wright responded: “And at that stage you also threatened to headbutt, Emma?"
Giggs replied: “No”.
Mr Wright referred again to his police statement, where Giggs said he had been attacked in the “scuffle”. But Giggs told the court he no longer stood by that claim. Asked why he had said it to police, Giggs said he didn’t know.
'An act of stupidity'
Mr Wright QC also questioned Giggs about why he had placed Kate Greville’s phone on the gatepost of his property when he went out to the road to flag down the police, who couldn’t find his house.
He said: “You disposed of her mobile phone, didn’t you? Why?”
Giggs said: “I don’t know.”
Mr Wright said: “The narrative of it being about her phone wouldn’t fit in the same way?”
Giggs said: “No.”
Mr Wright said: “Was it an act of spite?”
Giggs said: “It was just an act of stupidity.”
The prosecutor put it to Giggs he was seeking to put across a “different narrative” in his prepared statement to the reality of the situation, that “he was the victim”.
Giggs denied this.
The court also heard an exchange about the 999 call made after the incident involving the clash of heads. Giggs was asked if he could be heard in the background of the call made by Emma Greville.
Mr Wright asked: “You were trying to persuade her to not make the complaint, weren’t you?”
Giggs replied: “Yes”
When asked why, Giggs responded: “I don’t know”.
After a lunch break, the defence barrister Chris Daw QC asked for court staff to play sections of the 999 call made after the incident on November 1 2020.
In one recording, Mr Giggs can be heard in the background saying: “because you’re lying”.
“Were you at this stage angry and aggressive with Ms Greville or anyone else”, Mr Wright asked.
"No", Giggs replied.
Giggs was also asked about messages between him and Ms Greville where she had questioned him about responding slowly to messages.
Giggs said both of them would complain to the other about responding slowly.
The defendant also said Ms Greville had asked for his daily itinerary when working as manager of Wales.
Mr Daw said: “How detailed was the planning around your time, day to day and hour to hour?”
Giggs said: “Every minute more or less.”
Mr Daw said: “Did Kate have your itinerary as Wales manager?”
Giggs said: “Yes, every day.”
The court heard Ms Greville sent Giggs a message: “You were online before and I was stalking you. Who were you talking to?”
Asked by Mr Daw QC what the significance of this was, Giggs said that both of them checked on each other and complained at slow replies to messages. “It was normal for our relationship”, Giggs said.
After Mr Wright had completed his cross examination, the defence counsel stood again to re-examine his client, Ryan Giggs.
Mr Daw said to Giggs: “You accept you behave differently in public against your private life. It was put to you that you could be calm and cool but could turn into a violent individual. Do you ever behave in a violent way in public?”
Giggs said: “No.”
Mr Daw said: “Have you ever been violent in private?”
Giggs said: “No.”
Mr Daw said: “Have you ever lost control and attacked someone, whether in public or private?”
Giggs said: “No.”
The ex footballer has now finished his evidence and the trial continues. He denies all the charges against him.