Ryan Giggs broke down in tears as he told a court that spending a night in a police cell was “the worst experience of my life”.
The former Manchester United star said he was taken to Pendleton police station in Salford after being arrested on suspicion of assaulting his ex-partner on 1 November 2020.
Giggs, 48, told the jury at Manchester Crown Court the incident was a “sort of tug-of-war” in which he and Kate Greville, 38, “clashed heads” after he attempted to grab her phone.
Asked by his lawyer, Chris Daw QC, how he engaged with the police when they arrived at his home in Worsley, Greater Manchester, Giggs said: “Just answered their questions.”
Describing how he felt at the time, he said: “I was scared. I’d never been in that position before, so scared.”
Giggs confirmed he was arrested, taken to the police station and spent the night in a cell.
He then started crying as he said it was the “worst experience of my life”.
Giggs told the court he got “hardly any” sleep that night and spoke to a solicitor for the first time the next day.
The defendant denied headbutting Ms Greville, telling the court he and his ex-girlfriend “totally lost balance because we slipped on the shopping bags”. Ms Greville had testified that he put his hand on her shoulders and deliberately headbutted her.
Giggs said Emma Greville, the accuser’s sister, called the police. He is also accused of assaulting Emma in the altercation.
The defendant denies wrongdoing.
The court also heard Giggs’s recall an evening in December 2019 on which Ms Greville claims he threw bag containing a laptop at her, kicked her out of bed, and ejected her naked into the corridor at the Stafford Hotel in London.
Giggs said “nothing physical” happened that night. He said he threw the bag in the direction of the bed and the two argued briefly before spending the night together.
The trial continues.
Additional reporting by PA
