Ryan Giggs 'kicked naked ex-girlfriend out of hotel room in row over him flirting with other women', court told
Jurors have been told that Giggs had an 'uglier and more sinister side' to his character.
Ryan Giggs has been accused of kicking his ex-girlfriend out of a hotel room while she was naked in a row over him flirting with other women.
The former Manchester United star, 48, is accused of assaulting his former partner Kate Greville at the five-star Stafford London hotel, The Sun have reported.
Giggs has also been accused of attacking the 36-year-old and her youngster sister, Emma, at his home in Worsley, Greater Manchester on November 1, 2020.
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The former Wales manager has been charged with assaulting Greville, causing her actual bodily harm, and of the common assault of her younger sister.
He is also accused of using controlling and coercive behaviour against his former partner between August 2017 and November 2020.
This includes threatening to send images of her, "of a personal nature", to her friends, it is alleged.
Giggs denies the allegations against him and has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Opening the case on Monday at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court, prosecutor Peter Wright QC said of Giggs: "He was idolised by his adoring fans and supporters. On the pitch his skills were abundant and a thing of beauty.
"Off the pitch, in the privacy of his own personal life at home or behind closed doors, there was, we say the facts reveal, a much uglier and more sinister side to his character.
"This was a private life that involved a litany of abuse, both physical and psychological, of a woman he professed to love.
"A woman who, in reality, was, if the evidence is to be believed, treated in a way that cannot be excused or overlooked, by either an adoring public, or the law.
"This is a story of control and coercion of a woman who thought she was loved and respected; sadly the reality was very different."
The prosecution allege that Greville told her younger sister that she planned to leave Giggs before the former United winger returned home and a row broke out.
Mr Wright said: "The argument became heated. He tried to grab her phone."
It is alleged that Giggs then pushed Ms Greville to the ground, causing bruising to her arm, and "deliberately elbowed" her sister.
Mr Wright alleged Giggs then "entirely lost his self-control" and "deliberately head-butted" his ex-girlfriend.
Defending Giggs, Chris Daw QC said the former footballer and Greville "behaved like squabbling children" but said that there were "lines Mr Giggs would never cross".
He said Giggs never "used unlawful violence" and claimed the allegations him are "distortion, exaggeration and lies".
The trial began on Monday and is expected to last 10 days.
It was originally scheduled to take place in January but was postponed due to a backlog in court cases due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Giggs permanently stepped down as Wales manager in June after temporarily leaving the role when he was charged in 2020.
Giggs said he did not want his nation's preparations for the World Cup in Qatar this winter to be "affected, destabilised or jeopardised in any way by the continued interest around this case".
Topics: Ryan Giggs, Football, Manchester United, Premier League, Wales
Rory O'Callaghan