The sister of Ryan Giggs’ ex-girlfriend Kate Greville has claimed he threatened to headbutt her.
The former Manchester United star is currently on trial accused of using controlling and coercive behaviour against Kate between August 2017 and November 2020.
Ryan is also charged with assaulting Kate, causing her actual bodily harm, and common assault of her sister Emma at his home in Manchester on November 1st, 2020.
The sports star has pleaded not guilty to all the charges against him.
Kate’s sister Emma gave evidence at Manchester Crown Court today, where she recalled an alleged incident that took place at the defendant’s home in Worsley, Greater Manchester.
The 26-year-old told jurors she was looking after Kate and Ryan’s puppy Mac on November 1st, 2020 while the couple had dinner at the Stock Exchange Hotel in Manchester city centre.
She claimed she received a call from her sister who was “annoyed” because they were late for dinner because Ryan had “been out all day drinking”.
The court heard that Kate later messaged her, saying: “Pack my stuff in the car, we are leaving tonight”.
Emma said her sister was “visibly upset” when she arrived home, and could see she had been drinking but was “not stumbling”.
Peter Wright QC, prosecuting, asked: “Did she explain anything to you about the reason for her being upset at that time.”
Emma replied: “She just told me she confronted him about cheating but didn’t go into detail because we had a tight timescale. We wanted to get out of the house.”
Ryan allegedly followed about 15-20 minutes later, and Emma described his mood as “not happy”. She added: “He was also very drunk.”
Emma said she retreated into a bedroom in the house before she later went back downstairs and saw her sister hugging the puppy in the hallway.
She told the court: “Ryan then said ‘say your goodbyes to the dog, you will never see him again’. It was in a snide manner, that he had the power, that he could keep the dog when he knew the dog was Kate’s.”
“He said we were not allowed to take the dog with us.”
Ryan then accused Kate of taking his phone, Emma claimed, which she denied.
According to Emma, the ex footballer went on to pick up some of Kate’s belongings and place them in the hallway – including a handbag with her phone on top.
She told the court: “Ryan turned to Kate and said ‘if I don’t have my phone, you are not having yours’. Kate grabbed it before he did and they were in physical contact with each other.”
Emma said she left to check on the dog and when she returned, she saw Ryan’s legs sticking out of the “boot room” into the hallway.
She said: “I could her shouting, arguing, and scuffling around. Kate was lying on her back and Ryan was lying on top of her. Ryan was trying to grab Kate’s phone. His face was in her line with her face. Her legs were more bent up and he was lying flat on top of her.”
Emma Greville, the sister of Ryan Giggs' ex, tells jury in assault trial that he threatened "I'll headbutt you next" after claiming her sibling was left “on the ground screaming and covering her face” following alleged attack on Nov 1, 2020 https://t.co/Kes72mx8Xc
— Alan Smith (@alansmith90) August 15, 2022
Emma continued: “From her facial expressions I could tell she was in pain. Kate said ‘get him off me’ so I put both my arms around his waist and as Kate was using her legs to push him off I was pulling.”
“As I was pulling him up he was standing upright in the doorway. He turned to his right and his elbow touched my jaw and as a result I let go. Not in a gentle manner, it was a ‘get off me’ manner.”
The 26-year-old said she was “upset”, felt “shock” and claimed she immediately called her parents for advice on what to do next.
She next saw her sister in the kitchen as she tried to retrieve her phone from Ryan back pocket.
Emma told the court: “I said to Ryan ‘just give her phone back and then we will go’. I also said to him ‘I saw you on top of her grab her phone so I know you have her phone’.”
“He called me a ‘a f****** liar’. Kate said to Ryan ‘See, I have proof’. He had gone from annoyed to extremely angry.”
“He put both his hands on Kate’s shoulders and with lots of force used his head to headbutt her in the lip,” she claimed. “She fell to the ground screaming and covering her face.”
“Afterwards he told me it was my fault he had headbutted Kate and turned to me and said ‘I will headbutt you next’. I felt fear because he had headbutted Kate so why would he not do the same to me.”
Ryan Giggs vs Kate Greville: the biggest bombshells from the trial so farhttps://t.co/9zpV2jEGJP
— Goss.ie (@goss_ie) August 9, 2022
Emma said Kate told her to call the police, and claimed Ryan pleaded with her not to do so, saying: “Think about my daughter, think about my career.”
She said he told her to think about her sister’s career and that “it would be in all the newspapers”.
The trial continues.
