Harry Maguire has already pleaded not guilty to charges of aggravated assault and attempted bribery of an official.
Harry Maguire was kicked in the leg by police officers who told him “your career is over”, the Manchester United football star’s lawyer has told a Greek court.
The court had been asked to postpone proceedings following the 27-year-old’s arrest, along with two other Britons, over an alleged brawl last Thursday during a family holiday on the island of Mykonos in Greece.
But the trial went ahead in his absence and against his defence team’s wishes on Tuesday, with the prosecution alleging that once Maguire arrived at a police station, he said: “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.”
Plain clothes police officers intervened to try to calm the situation, but the “English men” didn’t, and one of the defendants said “… the police” and an officer was punched, it was claimed.
Maguire’s lawyer Alexis Anagnostakis told the court in Syros that two Albanian men had approached Maguire’s sister Daisy – who fainted immediately after being injected with an unknown substance.
They called for transport and asked to be driven to a hospital, but were instead taken to a police station.
Mr Anagnostakis alleged that when they arrived, Maguire was kicked in the leg by police officers who told him: “Your career is over.”
Policeman Nikolaos Kolios gave evidence for the prosecution and told the court that two of the defendants ran to get in a van, pushing officers away with their hands and legs.
The defence argued they were breaking away to make a phone call. But the police officer said he didn’t see them make one.
The court heard one officer received first aid while trying to make an arrest, because Maguire got angry when he realised he was handcuffed and tried to break away.
The officer who handcuffed Maguire said the footballer pushed him hard, causing him to fall backwards and hurt his back. He also suffered a leg injury and was injected with painkillers and had to take the next day off to recover.
A third police officer gave a similar account of events in court.
Maguire has already pleaded not guilty to charges of aggravated assault and attempted bribery of an official.
The England defender spent two nights in custody after he was arrested. He was not in court today, but his father Alan was, in the front row of the public gallery.
Earlier, there was a heated exchange between Mr Anagnostakis and the judge, with the lawyer repeatedly asking for an adjournment.
Mr Anagnostakis claimed his defence team did not have enough time to prepare for the trial and argued the list of charges was finalised just yesterday, so he only received a hard copy of the file this morning – two hours before the trial.
He didn’t even have the time to discuss the charges in depth with his client, he added.
Mr Anagnostakis also said he had in his possession a video from outside the police station on Mykonos, which he said shows the three defendants on the night in a state of “extreme agony”, which he needed more time to verify.
Manchester United had previously issued a statement on Friday saying they were aware of the incident and that Maguire was fully co-operating with the Greek authorities.
Maguire became the world’s most expensive defender following his £80m move to the club last summer from Leicester.
Along with the rest of United’s squad, he had been given two weeks off – ahead of the club’s next competitive fixture on 19 September, when they are due to open their 2020/21 Premier League campaign against Crystal Palace.
As coronavirus restrictions around the world made many holiday destinations impossible to visit, Premier League footballers headed to Mykonos for the clear waters, blue skies and all-day beach parties.
Maguire’s fiancee, Fern Hawkins, posted a picture of the pair in Mykonos on her Instagram page on Thursday night.
The couple have two baby daughters, the youngest of which was born in May, and were also joined on the holiday by his brothers and sister.
Maguire also spent time on the island with his Manchester United teammates Marcus Rashford and Brandon Williams.
Leicester star Jamie Vardy, Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold and Tottenham’s Dele Alli are among the others who have spent their post-season holiday in Mykonos.
In the high-end shops and flashy bars they’re keen to protect the privacy of VIP guests.
The court proceedings come as England manager Gareth Southgate names his squad later today for the upcoming Nations League fixtures against Iceland and Denmark. He faces a dilemma about whether to include Maguire, who would have been almost guaranteed a place in the squad before this week.
SkyNews
