Ryan Giggs denies headbutting ex after ‘completely losing self-control’

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Ryan Giggs has denied headbutting his ex-partner after “completely losing his self-control” during an argument.

The former Manchester United footballer returned to the witness box on Thursday for a second day of cross-examination from prosecutor Peter Wright QC.

Prosecutors claim Giggs, 48, headbutted Ms Greville, 38, at his home in Worsley, Greater Manchester, on November 1 2020.

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 prosecutor said: “The reality is you headbutted her, didn’t you?”

Giggs said: “No.”

Mr Wright said: “Because in this dispute with her, you had, by that stage, completely lost your self control.”

Giggs repeated: “No.”

He also denied threatening to headbutt Ms Greville’s sister Emma.

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.”

Mr Wright said: “Or is it in fact that these are the two things you did intend so far as this woman is concerned?”

Giggs replied: “No.”

He agreed with Mr Wright that after the “scuffle” he had been “chastising” Emma Greville for calling the police.

Mr Wright said: “You were blaming her for what had happened, weren’t you?”

Giggs replied: “Yes.”

Mr Wright asked: “Why were you blaming Emma?”

Giggs said: “I don’t know.”

Mr Wright reminded him of the 999 call Emma Greville made from the house, which started with her saying: “Assault. Headbutted her.”

The call operator asked: “Who assaulted who?”, with Giggs heard in the background saying: “You f****** caused this.”

Mr Wright asked Giggs: “You could hear her speaking on the phone?”

“Yes,” said Giggs.

Mr Wright said: “Why didn’t you say ‘that’s rubbish’ or ‘what are you talking about?’”

Giggs replied: “I don’t know.”

Mr Wright added: “Or why didn’t you say ‘it was an accident’?”

Giggs said: “I don’t know.”

Emma Greville went on to say in the 999 call: “He has just headbutted her in the face. Ryan, I’m saying anything I want to f****** say. You have headbutted my sister.”

Mr Wright said to Giggs in court: “You were seeking to persuade her not to make the complaint?”

Giggs said: “Yes.”

“Why?” asked Mr Wright.

Giggs said: “I don’t know.”

Mr Wright said: “What you did, I suggest, was you sought to use emotional influence on her, didn’t you?”

Giggs replied: “No.”

Mr Wright said: “Emotional blackmail, wasn’t it?”

Giggs repeated: “No.”

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.”

He asked Giggs: “You were seeking here to dissuade her from making that complaint?”

“Yes,” said Giggs.

Mr Wright went on: “And you were seeking to use your daughter as the lever?”

“Yes,” said Giggs.

Mr Wright said: “Why?”

Giggs replied: “I don’t know.”

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.

Mr Wright asked: “Why the change?”

Giggs said: “I don’t know.”

Mr Wright said: “You are a completely changed man by then. Why?”

Giggs replied: “I don’t know.”

Mr Wright reminded Giggs that he told an officer: “I have hit her in the lip.”

The prosecutor asked: “Why not say it was an accident?”

Giggs said: “I don’t know.”

Mr Wright said: “Why not say ‘my mouth or my head or my face has caught her lip?”

Giggs responded: “I don’t know.”

Mr Wright went on: “I’m going to suggest you were saying what had happened, Mr Giggs, because you had assaulted her, hadn’t you?”

“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