Ryan Giggs says he's never been faithful and 'can't resist' attractive women as he takes stand in assault trial

16 August 2022, 15:07 | Updated: 16 August 2022, 17:40

Ryan Giggs has admitted in court that he has never been faithful to any of his partners and that he cannot resist attractive women, regardless of his marital status.

The ex-Manchester United star said he cannot resist attractive women who show interest him and agreed he is a "flirt by nature".

He took to the stand in his trial on Tuesday, in which he denies assault and an allegation of controlling and coercive behaviour against his former girlfriend, Kate Greville - who he had accused of feeling jealous about his contact with other women.

Chris Daw, his defence lawyer, asked Mr Giggs on Tuesday: "In the course of your relationships with women, up to and including Ms Greville, have you managed to be faithful to any of them?"

"No," admitted Mr Giggs.

Mr Daw asked: "If an attractive woman has shown you interest regardless of your marital status, are you able to resist?"

Mr Giggs replied: "No."

He was then asked: "Are you a flirt by nature?"

"Yes," Mr Giggs said, and he admitted he lied to his ex-wife Stacey and Ms Greville about his infidelities.

The two had met when her PR firm was put to work for the business he ran with fellow former Man Utd star Gary Neville. She would eventually leave her husband, with whom she said she was unhappy, while Mr Giggs said he remained at his family home with then-wife Stacey and two children despite the affair carrying on.

He said: "Me and my ex-wife we had problems. I cheated on my ex-wife which was quite a public affair.

"We got over that and things were good.

"It was a part of my life where I was just finishing football and going into a coaching career. Longer hours. More time away from Stacey. More time away from the family.

"I was not giving Stacey the attention she deserved. Gradually we were getting more and more unhappy. Together with Kate it was becoming more and more difficult."

Asked about an alleged incident at the Westin Hotel in Dubai in 2017, when Ms Greville alleges Mr Giggs dragged her naked body across the floor of his hotel room and threw her belongings into a corridor, he said there was no physical element, and a row started after she accused him of messaging women when he was instead speaking to his daughter.

Mr Daw said: "Cutting to the chase, did you in a sense want to have your cake and eat it?"

Mr Giggs replied: "Yes."

Earlier on Tuesday the court heard how he claimed Ms Greville "becomes jealous when she is drunk" and that she wrongly accused him of having affairs.

He said in a statement he gave to police that he did not deliberately clash heads with Kate Greville in an incident at his home in Greater Manchester.

The 48-year-old, who denies using controlling and coercive behaviour against the PR executive between August 2017 and November 2020, instead said he felt she was trying to control the relationship.

Chris Daw later asked Ryan Giggs why he would continue to contact Kate Greville after she blocked him during their "rollercoaster-type relationship".

Giggs said: "When we would have breaks and then we got back together she would say things like: 'Good job you fought for us'.

"I always got the impression that I had to fight for the relationship."

He added that when they fell out or broke up, Ms Greville "wanted me to try and woo her back".

Mr Daw asked Giggs why he sent Ms Greville an email with the subject 'Blackmail' and a video attached of her dancing to Christmas songs.

He said: "It was just a joke between me and Kate. Just dancing embarrassingly, something which was out of her nature, acting silly at a Christmas party."

Giggs told the court he had "never" shared any private photos or videos of Ms Greville.

He added that he would never share such material.

Mr Giggs was interviewed by police after being arrested on suspicion of attacking Ms Greville, 38, and her younger sister, Emma, at his Worsley mansion on November 1 2020.

Jurors at Manchester Crown Court have heard from a handwritten statement he gave to officers the day after the incident, in which he was accused of headbutting her.

In it, he said his ex-partner tried to "control our relationship" and had been jealous of his "contact with other females".

"She ordered me to message certain women with whom she incorrectly accused me of having an affair," he said.

"She dictated the content of the messages and watched me while I sent them."

He added: "We would, of course, argue, but neither of us had any more control over the other."

The former Wales boss went on: "It has been suggested these incidents happened when I was the worse for drink, when in fact Kate becomes jealous when she is drunk, and admits goading me for a reaction.

"I would never react with violence. Despite allegations of violence, I often walk away from incidents."

Jurors heard how Mr Giggs characterised the incident at his home as a clash of heads.

"I accept during the tussle she caught me in the face, causing bleeding to the lip and inner mouth," he said in his statement at the time.

"I may have caught her and her sister during the scuffle but at no time was there any attempt to harm either of them."

After they refused to leave, Mr Giggs said he tried to "defuse any further physical confrontation" by having his neighbour phone the police, but when she refused he demanded his phone that had been taken by Ms Greville.

Read more: 'There's blood everywhere, she's in so much pain': 999 call played at Ryan Giggs trial

Ryan Giggs arrives at court in Manchester

He then went to get Ms Greville's phone from the utility room, he said, but after she gave him his phone he refused to hand over hers.

Mr Giggs told police a scuffle broke out with Emma Greville after Kate Greville grabbed his hand.

"I accept during this scuffle my head clashed with [Kate's].

"I am not sure if it was the face or head but I am sure it was not deliberate."

He regretted the argument got "so out of hand" and said he "sincerely" hoped it would not be the end of the relationship.

"The last thing I would want to is to harm her physically and emotionally," he told police, adding that he was "pleased" when officers arrived as it would stop the argument.

After being interviewed by police a month later about allegations of controlling or coercive behaviour to Ms Greville, Mr Giggs said: "I will not accept that my behaviour towards my former partner has been in any way controlling or coercive, nor that I have done any of the incidents in the manner described."

He "didn't recall" threatening to release intimate photos of her, saying he would be scared about negative publicity, and if such a threat was made "in jest or in drink" it would be "preposterous" for Ms Greville to believe he would see the threat through.

He said arguments were not caused by him being defensive about cheating allegations but they happened for "all sorts of reasons, including me suggesting she was flirting with other males".

Mr Giggs also denies assaulting Ms Greville, causing her actual bodily harm, and a separate charge of assault by beating of her 26-year-old sister.

The trial continues.