News
Ryan Giggs issues statement after being found not guilty as domestic abuse charges are dropped
'This is not a decision taken lightly.'
Former Manchester United footballer Ryan Giggs has been found not guilty of domestic abuse and will not face a retrial over allegations he assaulted his ex-girlfriend.
Giggs, 48, was cleared of all charges after the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) dropped their case once hs previous partner Kate Greville withdrew her cooperation from the case.
The retired footballer turned Wales coach was accused of controlling and coercive behaviour, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and common assault against Greville’s sister, Emma. Incidents allegedly included headbutting his ex-girlfriend and elbowing her sister during an altercation in Worsley on 1 November 2020.
The retrial had been due to start at Manchester Crown Court on 31 July after jurors failed to reach a verdict following more than 20 hours of deliberations in his initial four-week trial in August 2022, but the decision to drop the case was made by the CPS following a pre-trial review on Tuesday morning.
Having denied the claims from the beginning, Giggs issued a statement after the case was officially discontinued.
“After more than three weeks in court I am obviously disappointed that a retrial has been ordered”, said Giggs, going on to suggest that his innocence would be proven.
“My not guilty plea remains in relation to all charges. I am confident that justice will eventually be done and my name will be cleared of all the allegations. I would like to thank my legal team, my mum, my children, my girlfriend Zara, as well as my closest friends, for their support throughout this period.
“I understand the level of interest and the scrutiny around this case but I would like to ask that my and my family’s privacy is respected in the weeks and months ahead.”
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After telling Manchester Crown Court that the CPS would not be proceeding, prosecutor Peter Wright KC said “this decision is not taken lightly”, explaining that Ms Greville and her sister had “indicated an unwillingness” to give any more evidence, adding that the lengthy proceedings had “taken their toll”.
The court had attempted to attempted to find out exactly why Greville and her sister didn’t want to participate in a second trial, but the prosecuting lawyers say they did feel it appropriate to summon her as a witness for a second time.
As for the former footballer’s defence barrister, Chris Daw KC, he said: “Mr Giggs is deeply relieved that the case has finally come to an end after almost three years of fighting to clear his name.
“He now intends to rebuild his life and career as an innocent man.”
Featured Image — Wikimedia Commons/Ryan Giggs (via Instagram)
News
Tameside police officers hailed ‘absolute heroes’ after saving the life of a seven-year-old girl
Emily Sergeant
Two Tameside police officers have been hailed as “absolute heroes” after saving the life of a seven-year-old little girl.
It comes after emergency services were called to an address in the Greater Manchester borough of Tameside earlier this week (29 November), and found a young girl who was struggling to breath and coughing up blood after choking on a sweet.
Police Constables Aaron Kincaid and James Blundell, from Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) Tameside division, were first on the scene.
To the huge relief of the girl’s parents, who were said to be “understandably distressed” and concerned for her welfare, PC Kincaid jumped straight into action and was able to utilise his first aid training to full effect by going on to successfully dislodge the sweet from the youngster’s throat, and then helping to calm her down before the paramedics arrived.
Whilst PC Kincaid looked after the little girl, PC Blundell did “everything he could” to help the parents remain calm.
Paramedics then took over once they arrived, and the young girl was taken to hospital as a precaution.
Reflecting on the incident, and hailing his officers “absolute heroes”, Superintendent Mike Walsh, from GMP’s Tameside district, said: “PCs Aaron Kincaid and James Blundell acted without hesitation during the incident, and took control of the situation that they were faced with.
“They deserve every credit for staying calm under extreme pressure and for working together as a team and utilising their training to lifesaving effect, and I’m sure the girl’s parents and family will consider them to be absolute heroes.”
“We’re both glad that we were in the right place at the right time,” PC Kincaid added.
“I have a daughter the same age as the little girl who needed our help, and I cannot tell you how much of a relief it was when she started breathing normally and said she was okay after I had managed to dislodge the sweet.
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“I remember saying, ‘Thank God for that’.
“The little girl gave me a thank you hug before she went to hospital, but I couldn’t have done what I did without PC Blundell’s assistance, so it was a real team effort.”
Featured Image – GMP
News
Someone has plastered posters advertising ‘authorised drug zones’ all over Manchester city centre
Daisy Jackson
Posters promoting ‘authorised’ drug use and sales have appeared all over Manchester today.
The posters even include Greater Manchester Police and Manchester City Council logos – though, obviously, without the consent of either authority.
The fake posters have also been springing up in other cities, with locals in Leeds spotting them all over the place yesterday.
They read: “Crack and heroin zone. The sale and use of Crack and Heroin is authorised in this area.”
The fake posters have been spotted outside the Central Library and in the Northern Quarter, as well as at locations in other parts of the city.
They were quickly removed by authorities, who say they were posted illegally.
West Yorkshire Police said yesterday: “We are aware of fake posters that have been illegally posted at locations in and around Leeds city centre and are making further enquiries.”
Greater Manchester Police and Manchester City Council have also been approached for comment.
Manchester mayoral candidate Nick Buckey wrote on X: “The lack of action to the drug epidemic in Greater Manchester is so huge that people thought these posters were legitimate.
“When jokes seems like reality then we know we have a problem.”
It appears that the group behind the drug posters project is Pattern Up, a ‘young artist collective from Brighton making their mark on the streets with provocative and witty installations’.
Plenty of people seem to have fallen for the stunt, believing it’s real, with one person posting on Instagram: “Can’t find anything online so surely fake news unless someone has a source.”
Another wrote: “Hahaha f*ck off this can’t be legit.”
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Featured image: User submission
Danny Jones -
18th July 2023 
