Harry Maguire found guilty of assault, attempted bribery in Greece
Manchester United captain Harry Maguire has been found guilty of assault, resisting arrest and attempted bribery in Greece.
The £80m defender was one of three men arrested last Thursday after a fight with another group at a nightclub in Mykonos and spent two nights in custody but was not present at today’s trial on the nearby island of Syros.
A request by his lawyer Alexis Anagnostakis for an adjournment was denied and the court heard prosecution evidence that in addition to confronting a group Maguire claimed had assaulted his sister, the player later assaulted a policeman and subsequently offered money for the charges to be dropped.
The prosecution alleged Maguire had told police: “Do you know who I am? I am the captain of Manchester United. I am very rich, I can give you money. I can pay you, please let us go.”
Mr Anagnostakis told the court that the 27-year-old had been assaulted by police who kicked him in the leg and said: “Your career is over.”
Maguire issued a statement following the verdict saying that he intended to appeal and insisting that he was the victim in the matter.
“Following the hearing, I have instructed my legal team with immediate effect to inform the courts we will be appealing.
“I remain strong and confident regarding our innocence in this matter – if anything myself, family and friends are the victims.”
It remains to be seen what sentence will be handed down and the effect it will have on Maguire’s career with United, who are due to begin their Premier League campaign against Crystal Palace on 19 September.
Earlier today, England manager Gareth Southgate called Maguire up for next month’s Nations League matches with Iceland and Denmark, saying he believed the defender’s version of events, but admitted “clearly if facts change or information changes, I have to review that decision”.
