Harry Maguire to have retrial following appeal over Greece assault conviction

26 August 2020, 17:38

Harry Maguire is set to have a retrial after being granted an appeal against his conviction for assault and attempted bribery in Greece.

The Manchester United Captain was given a 21 month suspended sentence on Tuesday after his conviction over a brawl in Mykonos.

The club said that Maguire's legal team filed the appeal against the verdict and it was approved on Wednesday.

A spokesman for the club said: "An appeal against yesterday's verdict was lodged this morning by Harry's legal team.

"In accordance with the Greek judicial process, the filing of an appeal extinguishes the initial court verdict and nullifies the conviction.

"The appeal has been accepted and will lead to a full retrial in a more senior court.

"This means that Harry has no criminal record and is once again presumed innocent until proven guilty. Accordingly, he is not subject to any international travel restrictions."

Harry Maguire found guilty of three charges

No date has been set yet for the appeal to be heard, but it is likely to take a few months.

Maguire was not present at the trial on Tuesday on the nearby island of Syros, when he was also found guilty of swearing in public.

He has since been removed from the England team.

Two other defendants, one of which is Maguire's brother, Joe, were also found guilty on similar charges and handed 13-month sentences.

United's public support for the player is understood to be an indicator that he will remain as club captain.

His brother Laurence had earlier said there was "no chance" of an apology being issued, after a lawyer representing two Greek police officers said that doing so might lead to a withdrawal of some of the complaints.

Laurence Maguire, who plays for Chesterfield, tweeted: "Absolute no chance Harry will be apologising. Daisy (Maguire's sister) and no one in the group was interviewed by the police."