'The worst experience of my life': Ryan Giggs weeps in court as he recalls spending night in cells

17 August 2022, 15:24 | Updated: 17 August 2022, 15:26

Ryan Giggs has broken down in tears in court as he explained how his night in a police cell was "the worst experience of my life".

The ex-Manchester United star, on trial as he denies allegations made by his ex-girlfriend, was arrested on suspicion of assaulting her on November 1 2020.

Giggs denies assault and controlling or coercive behaviour to PR executive Kate Greville.

Manchester Crown Court has heard how they had a row at his mansion in Worsley in which he was accused of headbutting Ms Greville and attacking her younger sister Emma – while he denies anything deliberately physical on his part.

Asked on Wednesday by his defence lawyer Chris Daw about what happened when police arrived, Giggs said: "Just answered their questions."

He said: "I was scared. I'd never been in that position before, so scared."

The ex-Wales boss was arrested, taken to a police station and spent the night in a cell, and began to cry in court as he recounted it.

He told the court it was the "worst experience of my life" and he "hardly" slept.

Giggs told the court Ms Greville could sometimes correctly accuse him of infidelity but at a hotel on November 1 2020 she had falsely accused him.

The argument continued back at the Worsley home, where he told the court he believed Ms Greville and her sister were trying to take his dog Mac.

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

He said he took some of Ms Greville's bags and put them at the end of the drive, but the sisters would not leave.

He threatened to call the police but could not find his phone, and believing Ms Greville had it, he tried to get her phone.

"As I went to grab the phone I'm facing the cloakroom door and Kate has her back to that door," he said.

"We both slipped on the bags and I fell on Kate into the cloakroom."

Mr Daw asked: "Was that deliberate on your part?"

Giggs said: "No, we just totally lost balance because we slipped on the shopping bags. My head was around her waist height. Then Kate just proceeded to kicking me in the head."

Mr Daw asked: "Did you do anything physical?"

Giggs replied: "No, as soon as we were on the floor I was just protecting my head. After these six, seven kicks to the head, I just got up and we went our separate ways."

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

Giggs said he did not see Emma Greville or deliberately elbow her during the scuffle, but he then pocketed Kate Greville's phone before she grabbed his arm to lead him to the fridge.

"Kate had then stopped because her back was against the chair and table. The tugging just got a little bit more aggressive... we were facing each other, it was sort of tug-of-war and we then clashed heads," he told jurors.

"It happened really quickly. I felt my lips against hers."

Mr Daw asked: "What was her reaction?"

Giggs said: "I could see quite clearly she had been hurt. She just fell backwards, more towards the table.

"Kate got more aggressive because she was not getting any joy from getting my wrist from my pocket."

Emma Greville then called 999 and Mr Giggs said he became "confused, scared".

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

Ms Greville told the court about an alleged altercation at a hotel in Dubai in which she said she was bruised, and that she was "hugely ashamed" that she kept going back to him as he "kept promising the world".

She described herself as a "slave" to him.

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