Ryan Giggs tells court ex-girlfriend was ‘happy that I persisted’

Ryan Giggs has told a court his ex-girlfriend was “happy” when he sent her repeated messages and turned up unannounced at her gym upon their relationship breaking down.

The former Manchester United and Wales footballer said Kate Greville was “happy that I fought for us and that I persisted” when he pursued her after a fallout.

The trial has heard how Giggs sent “constant” messages to Ms Greville and her friends, and would turn up unannounced at her home, workplace and gym when she blocked his phone number.

Asked by his barrister, Chris Daw QC, to describe Ms Greville’s reaction to his repeated contacts when they had got back together, Giggs said: “Just happy that I fought for us and that I persisted.”

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Mr Daw asked how Ms Greville had felt on one of the occasions that the former Wales manager turned up at her gym. Giggs said: “Kate came out of the gym and she seen that I was there. She got in my car and we had a chat.”

Giggs, 48, said they had got back together as a result of that conversation.

The ex-footballer denies using controlling and coercive behaviour against Ms Greville between August 2017 and November 2020.

He also denies assaulting Ms Greville, causing her actual bodily harm and the common assault of her younger sister, Emma Greville, at his home in Worsley on November 1st, 2020.

Earlier on Thursday, Giggs said he did not know why he had claimed in his first police interview that the Greville sisters had attacked him.

Under cross-examination by the prosecutor, Peter Wright QC, Giggs had no explanation for making that statement.

He denied head-butting his ex-partner after “completely losing his self-control” during an argument.

Mr Wright asked Giggs about the prepared statement he gave to police the day after the incident, in which he said a “scuffle” had broken out over Ms Greville’s phone and that his head had clashed with hers accidentally.

The prosecutor said: “The reality is you head-butted her, didn’t you?” Giggs said: “No.”

Mr Wright said: “Because in this dispute with her you had by that stage completely lost your self-control.” Giggs repeated: “No.”

Asking about a line from the email in which Giggs said: “I’m so f**king mad right now I’m scaring myself because I could do anything,” Mr Wright had said: “It wasn’t an idle threat, was it?”

Giggs had replied: “No.” Mr Daw said: “What were you agreeing to? What sort of threat were you agreeing to having made?”

Giggs said: “I answered that I didn’t know what I meant.” Mr Daw asked: “What were your intentions at that time? What were you planning to do?” Giggs said: “I don’t know.”

Mr Daw asked Giggs about his reference to being “attacked on both occasions” in his police statement after being arrested for allegedly attacking Kate Greville.

Mr Daw said: “In the incident in the hallway, who, if anyone, had used any force?”

Giggs said: “Well, when we fell it was mutual, but when we were on the floor Kate was kicking me in the head.”

Mr Daw said: “In the kitchen, who instigated physical contact?” Giggs said: “Kate.”

The trial continues.