Ryan Giggs trial - live: Defendant found with ‘blood around mouth’ on night of arrest

The trial of former Manchester United footballer Ryan Giggs resumed for its fifth day on Friday at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester. You can follow what happened below.

Mr Giggs, 48, denies using controlling and coercive behaviour against Kate Greville, 36, between August 2017 and November 2020, assaulting her, causing actual bodily harm, and the common assault of her younger sister.

On Thursday, Ms Greville was forced to deny staging a tabloid newspaper photograph to “turn the public against” Mr Giggs, saying she had done so to “take back control”.

She described the adverse impact her relationship with the retired football superstar had had on her career and social life and said she was “hugely ashamed” that she kept returning to a man who “kept promising the world”.

She was challenged as to why she had moved into his home in in Worsley, Greater Manchester, during the first Covid-19 lockdown if she believed him to be “a serial and violent abuser”.

The PR executive said the experience had initially been happy but became “a cycle of abuse that made me feel insecure.”

Key Points

• Trial resumes on Friday morning

• Jury shown CCTV footage from Ryan Giggs’ home

• 999 calls reporting ‘headbutt’ incident played in court

• Giggs had ‘blood around his mouth’ when arresting officers arrived

• Ex-footballer seen telling officers he and girlfriend got into ‘tangle’ in arrest video

Friday 12 August 2022 09:53 , Joe Sommerlad

Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s coverage of the Ryan Giggs trial, where the ex-Manchester United player has been charged with coercive and abusive behaviour as well as assault against his ex-girlfriend Kate Greville and her sister.

We will bring all the latest updates as the trial continues today at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester.

Trial to resume on Friday morning

Friday 12 August 2022 10:05 , Joe Sommerlad

Proceedings are expected underway in Judge Hilary Manley’s courtroom at 10.30am this morning, with the couple’s text messages once more under the microscope as Ryan Giggs’ defence team attempt to cast doubt on Kate Greville’s claims against their client.

The pair’s private messages have been a key source of evidence so far this week, laid out before the jury to establish the often intense nature of the relationship between the couple.

Here is my colleague Thomas Kinglsey’s report on what we have learned so far from their exchanges.

‘Evil, horrible c***’: ‘Abusive’ texts Ryan Giggs sent girlfriend revealed

Kate Greville tells court staged photo was to ‘take back control’

Friday 12 August 2022 10:15 , Joe Sommerlad

On Thursday, Ms Greville was again cross-examined by defence barrister Christopher Daw QC, who accused her of inventing “naked lies” to smear his client, reduced her to tears more than once and forced her to deny staging a tabloid newspaper photograph to “turn the public against” Mr Giggs, saying she had done so instead to “take back control”.

Here is our report.

Ryan Giggs’ ex-girlfriend tells court staged photo was to ‘take back control’

Ex-girlfriend says relationship with Ryan Giggs affected her career

Friday 12 August 2022 10:20 , Joe Sommerlad

Ms Greville also described the adverse impact her relationship with the retired football superstar had had on her career and social life and said she was “hugely ashamed” that she kept returning to a man who “kept promising the world”.

She was challenged as to why she had moved into his home in in Worsley, Greater Manchester, during the first Covid-19 lockdown if she believed him to be “a serial and violent abuser”.

The PR executive said the experience had initially been happy but became “a cycle of abuse that made me feel insecure.”

Here is a little more on what she had to tell the court on Thursday.

Ryan Giggs’s ex tells jury their relationship affected her career

Ryan Giggs arrives at court

Friday 12 August 2022 10:25 , Joe Sommerlad

The defendant appears at Manchester Crown Court for the final time this week, once more flanked by his lawyers.

Judge Manley in court discussing forthcoming evidence

Friday 12 August 2022 10:58 , Joe Sommerlad

A slight delay as the judge consults both sides on today’s evidence and seeks assurances all messages under discussion will be relevant to the case at hand.

Preliminary matter raised by jury now resolved and we’re set to get underway.

Jury shown CCTV footage from Giggs’ home

Friday 12 August 2022 11:20 , Joe Sommerlad

Prosecutor Peter Wright QC is presenting “agreed facts” established by the prosecution and defence, including photographs of Ms Greville on the night of 1 November 2020 - when Ms Greville alleges the defendant assaulted her and her younger sister Emma when she tried to leave him and had piled her belongings into a Mercedes SUV - and by a crime scene manager two days later.

The jury have also been shown a compilation of black-and-white CCTV footage shot outside of Mr Giggs’ home that night in which the defendant can be seen arriving in his Range Rover and then coming back and forth to his driveway carrying luggage as his dog Mac scurries around.

The final scene shows police officers arriving.

999 call reporting ‘headbutt’ incident played in court

Friday 12 August 2022 11:28 , Joe Sommerlad

Mr Wright plays audio of two calls made to the police that evening in one of which a woman’s voice (presumably Emma Greville) can be heard saying: ”He headbutted her lip, she’s got blood everywhere.”

Shouting is heard in the background, during which the caller says: “You f***ing headbutted my sister.”

In the second call, made moments later, the speaker says the attacker is “Ryan Giggs, footballer Ryan Giggs”.

”The Ryan Giggs?” the call operator asks, shocked.

Giggs had ‘blood around his mouth’ when arresting officers arrived

Friday 12 August 2022 11:49 , Joe Sommerlad

Mr Wright explains to the jury that the officers who arrived at Mr Giggs’s residence that night were met by Emma Greville at the door and found Kate Greville in the kitchen.

They arrested the defendant on suspicion of assaulting both women.

A statement by one Officer Howarth is read out in which he states that he found Ms Greville sitting on the floor “visibly upset” and Mr Giggs with “blood around his mouth”.

”I could see straight away she had swollen top and bottom lip with significant bruising,” the officer said of Ms Greville.

Bodycam footage from the second officer, PC Billington, shows her on the floor.

Giggs told officers he and Greville ‘got into a little bit of a tangle'

Friday 12 August 2022 12:03 , Joe Sommerlad

The bodycam footage shows Mr Giggs explaining that he and Ms Greville had been out to dinner and had a ”few drinks in town” while her sister watched their house.

He tells the officer that an argument had erupted, he asked his partner to leave the property and “got into a little bit of a tangle” when she withheld his phone, which resulted in a “struggle on the floor”.

”She kicked me” and ”bust my lip”, he tells the police, identifying himself.

Giggs did not react when officers informed him of arrest

Friday 12 August 2022 12:15 , Joe Sommerlad

The bodycam footage shows the officer telling Mr Giggs he will be arrested over “an allegation of assault” with which he complies and does not react as he is lead by away, other than to enquire about how his cocker spaniel puppy will be looked after.

Police officers’ statements read out

Friday 12 August 2022 12:42 , Joe Sommerlad

Testimony from PC Howarth and PS Williams, two of the arresting officers, is read out.

Both giving straight accounts of what happened on the night of 1 November 2020 after they were called to Mr Giggs’ home in Worsley, explaining how they came to answer the call, what they found when they got there and the actions they took.

PC Billington called to witness stand

Friday 12 August 2022 12:49 , Joe Sommerlad

One of the arresting officers has arrived to offer his testimony, confirming that he was called to the residence to investigate a “domestic disturbance”.

He says he was nearby at the time the 999 calls were made and requested support from further patrols.

Giggs admitted to officer he had had ‘a lot’ to drink

Friday 12 August 2022 13:09 , Joe Sommerlad

PC Billington says the defendant had agreed that he was drunk at the time of the disturbance and had claimed that this was their “first” argument when asked if this sort of dispute was a regular occurrence.

”I believed he was intoxicated,” the officer said. “He was slow in response to my questions and his eyes appeared slightly glazed.”

Trial adjourns for lunch

Friday 12 August 2022 13:13 , Joe Sommerlad

That’s it for now.

Proceedings are set to resume at 2.10pm.