Trial of ex-Manchester United footballer Ryan Giggs to go ahead on Monday

The trial of ex-Manchester United footballer Ryan Giggs, who is accused of attacking and controlling his ex-girlfriend, will go ahead on Monday.

Arrangements for the case were finalised on Thursday in the wake of Manchester Crown Court closing this week due to testing for asbestos.

Judge Hilary Manley ruled the 10-day trial will start next week at the city’s other crown court, Manchester Minshull Street, before it transfers to Manchester Crown Court on Tuesday for the remainder of the proceedings.

Last week HM Courts and Tribunals Service said Manchester Crown Court would be temporarily closed due to a “building issue”.

A number of cases were later switched from the Crown Square building to Minshull Street and also Bolton Crown Court.

In a brief hearing at Minshull Street on Thursday, Judge Manley said jurors would be sworn in on Monday, with the prosecution opening to follow.

Barristers in the case appeared remotely to deal with the preparatory matters, while Giggs, 48, was not required to attend.

Giggs is accused of using controlling and coercive behaviour against Kate Greville, 36, between August 2017 and November 2020.

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

He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Giggs was due to face trial in January but the hearing was put back due to the ongoing backlog of court cases exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Last month, he stood down as manager of the Wales national team following a period of leave since November 2020.

In a statement, he said he did not want the country’s preparations for this year’s World Cup in Qatar to be “affected, destabilised or jeopardised in any way by the continued interest around this case”.