IMAGE: Former Manchester United footballer Ryan Giggs arrives at Manchester and Salford Magistrates Court in Manchester, Britain, in April 2021 for a trial where he pleaded not guilty to charges of assaulting his ex-girlfriend and her sister. Photograph: Molly Darlington/Reuters
The trial of former Manchester United soccer player Ryan Giggs has been delayed to August 8 due to a lack of court space, the BBC reported after a hearing on Tuesday.
The former Wales national manager is charged with controlling and coercive behaviour and assault against his ex-girlfriend and her sister. The trial at Manchester Crown Court had been due to start on January 24.
Giggs, 48, has pleaded not guilty to all charges and remains on bail.
“Unfortunately, it has become necessary to vacate this trial from the list,” the BBC quoted Judge Hilary Manley as saying.
“The reason for this is because there is not a court available to accommodate this trial.
“Due to the large backlog of court cases, which has been exacerbated by the pandemic and the need for social distancing, this is a situation which is a daily reality for the criminal courts.”
Giggs’s lawyer said his client was “extremely disappointed”.
The former player was charged last April when a magistrate’s court heard a prosecutor read out a summary of charges including that he struck Kate Greville with a “deliberate headbutt”.
He was first arrested in the case and released on bail in November 2020.
Giggs made 963 appearances over 23 years for Manchester United as a player, a club record, winning a haul of honours including 13 Premier League winner’s medals and two UEFA Champions League winner’s medals.
He represented Wales as a player 64 times between 1991 and 2007 and took over as national coach in 2018.
Real Madrid great Gento dies aged 88
Francisco “Paco” Gento, one of Read Madrid’s greatest players and a European champion with Spain, has died at the age of 88, the club said on Tuesday.
Having started his career at Racing Santander, Gento joined Real Madrid in 1953 and spent 18 years in the Spanish capital until his retirement in 1971. The left winger made 600 appearances for the club and scored 182 goals.
Gento remains the only player to have won six European Cups and he also won 12 league crowns, two Copa del Rey titles and one Intercontinental Cup during his time at Real.
“Real Madrid would like to express its condolences and its love and affection to his wife Mari Luz, his sons Francisco and Julio, his granddaughters Aitana and Candela and all his relatives, colleagues and loved ones,” the club said in a statement.
Gento won 43 caps for Spain and represented his country in the 1962 and 1966 World Cups.
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