Ryan Giggs emailed his ex-girlfriend: ‘I’m so f***ing mad, I’m scaring myself’

Ryan Giggs sent swear-word filled messages to his ex-girlfriend, asked her to unblock him on the promise he would stop sending nude ‘piccies’ and threw her out of a five-star hotel naked after she accused him of flirting with other women, a court heard yesterday.

Jury members were told how the former Manchester United star, 48, penned one message titled ‘Lies, Lies Lies’ – and another entitled ‘Blackmail’ – to former girlfriend Emma Greville after she blocked him from sending messages.

The court heard how the ex-Wales winger said in the messages: ‘I am am so f****** mad right now, I’m scaring myself because I could do anything,’ before adding: ‘I actually hate you for what you’ve done to me. Hate you. HATE HATE HATE…’

In another message, sent after he was blocked by Miss Greville, he said: ‘Please unblock me. All this blocking malarkey is poo. Promise, no more naked piccies.’ 

A third message featured the header ‘blackmail’, the court heard. But jurors were only told that it contained the word ‘please’ as well as an unspecified attachment.

It comes as barristers representing Giggs yesterday told a court that that he and Ms Greville behaved like ‘squabbling teenagers’ during their relationship.

But they insisted that there were ‘lines he would never cross’, Chris Daw QC added, saying that Giggs ‘never once used unlawful violence’ against her during their relationship, ‘no matter how bad things got’.

The retired footballer is accused of using controlling and coercive behaviour against Miss Greville, 36, between August 2017 and November 2020.

He is also charged with assaulting and causing her actual bodily harm in relation to an alleged headbut during an incident at his £1.7m mansion during a row over his alleged infidelity,

Giggs also faces an allegation of common assault of her sister, Emma Greville, at his home in Worsley, Greater Manchester. Giggs has pleaded not guilty to all charges. 

Delivering an opening statement to the jury, Mr Daw said Giggs fully accepts that his behaviour – on a moral level – at times during their time together was ‘far from perfect’.

The defendant also acknowledges that he did not always handle their arguments ‘in the best possible way’ and the jury may think the couple behaved like ‘squabbling teenagers’ in their numerous message exchanges, Mr Daw said.

However much of the evidence jurors would hear amounted to ‘exactly the sort of thing that goes on between arguing couples day in, day out’, he told them.

Addressing the night of the alleged assault, Mr Daw said the accusations were ‘based on distortion, exaggerations and lies’. ‘He assaulted no-one,’ he added.

Mr Daw said that in the weeks before the incident, Miss Greville had ‘said to her friends that she was determined not to walk away from the relationship with nothing’.

Speaking about the alleged headbut, he said that while the pair were ‘tussling’ over her phone, both tripped and fell to the floor, and Miss Greville kicked him in the face as he tried to disentangle himself.

Mr Daw said Giggs was not even aware that her sister was in the house at the time and certainly did not elbow her, as alleged.

The alleged headbutt was ‘not only a nasty lie but a ridiculous one’, he said, as the evidence will show there was mere ‘minor and accidental contact’ between their faces.

Denying the prosecution claim that Giggs subjected Miss Greville to controlling and coercive behaviour, Mr Daw pointed out that she had been earning a six-figure salary during the relationship – assisted by his introducing ‘most of her clients’ to her.

She kept her own apartment and was free to travel and see friends, he added, saying that in ‘stark contrast to the picture painted by Miss Greville, Mr Giggs did not control or coerce at all’.

Telling jurors they were not there to judge Giggs on ‘the morals of infidelity’, he urged them: ‘Keep your eye on the ball.’

It comes after the court heard how Giggs subjected his girlfriend to a ‘litany of physical and psychological abuse’ and headbutted her at his £1.7m mansion during a row over his alleged infidelity.

Prosecutor Peter Wright QC told Manchester’s Minshull Street Court that Giggs’s private life ‘involved a litany of abuse of a woman he professed to love’. 

Giggs would email Ms Greville when she blocked him on social media and threaten to send images ‘of a personal nature’, to her friends unless she did what he said, the court heard.

He allegedly harassed Ms Greville and turned up ‘unwanted’ at her house or gym.

Mr Wright added: ‘This was not an expression of love, this is obsessive behaviour by him.’

Mr Wright cited one message from Giggs, which stated: ‘Please unblock me. All this blocking malarkey is poo. Promise, no more naked piccies.’

Minutes later Giggs sent an email with an attachment, with the subject header, ‘Blackmail.’

Jurors were also asked today if they had any personal connection to Sir Alex Ferguson, former defender Gary Neville or executive David Gill – sparking speculation the trio could play a role during the trial.

Opening the case, prosecutor Peter Wright QC said of the defendant: ‘He was idolised by his adoring fans and supporters. On the pitch his skills were abundant and a thing of beauty.

‘Off the pitch, in the privacy of his own personal life at home or behind closed doors, there was, we say the facts reveal, a much uglier and more sinister side to his character.

‘This was a private life that involved a litany of abuse, both physical and psychological, of a woman he professed to love.

‘A woman who, in reality, was, if the evidence is to be believed, treated in a way that cannot be excused or overlooked, by either an adoring public, or the law.

‘This is a story of control and coercion of a woman who thought she was loved and respected; sadly the reality was very different.’

The barrister continued: ‘Eventually, after years of turbulence, when the scales fell from her eyes, she realised she needed to remove herself from his sphere of influence.’

Mr Wright said the result of this decision to break away was the incident on November 1 2020, when Giggs is said to have ‘lost control’ and headbutted Ms Greville.

While out together with friends at Manchester’s Stock Exchange Hotel that evening Ms Greville decided to terminate their relationship, said Mr Wright.

He said: ‘She knew that the defendant had once again been cheating on her.

‘During the evening the defendant’s behaviour towards her led to her making that decision and make an early departure. In advance of her return home she informed her sister by text message of her plan.

‘She intended to make her departure before he got back from the hotel. The plan did not work.

‘As she was vacating the defendant’s home address, he came back and began arguing with her and trying to stop her leaving.’

The prosecutor said she took his phone as a ‘bargaining chip’ to try to persuade him not to prevent her from going.

A heated argument followed and Giggs then attempted to grab her phone, which was later found on a fence post in the garden of the property, said Mr Wright.

In the altercation that followed they grappled together on the floor before Ms Greville’s sister stepped in, the court heard.

Mr Wright said: ‘She (Emma Greville) tried to pull the defendant off her sister. For her pains the defendant, we say, deliberately elbowed her in the jaw causing her discomfort and shock that he would turn violence on to her as well her sister.

‘The argument between the defendant and Kate Greville moved to the kitchen. The couple continued to argue about her mobile phone.

‘At that stage, we say, the defendant entirely lost self-control and he deliberately headbutted Kate, thereby causing swelling to her lips and bruising. Emma then called the police, who attended the premises.’

Mr Wright told the jury he would give a ‘snapshot’ of the nature of the relationship between the defendant and Ms Greville, a woman more than 10 years younger than him.

He physically threw her, and her belongings, out of an address they were staying at, after Ms Greville challenged him about another woman and threw an item at her in a bust-up in a hotel room in London, the jury heard.

Giggs’ barrister, Chris Daw QC, said the ex-footballer fully accepts that his behaviour – on a moral level – at times during their time together was ‘far from perfect’.

Mr Daw said: ‘He never once used unlawful violence against Ms Greville during the course of their relationship, no matter how bad things got.

‘His defence to the assaults is simple. Those accusations are based on distortion, exaggerations and lies. He assaulted no-one.

‘In the weeks before, Kate Greville said to her friends that she was determined not to walk away from the relationship with nothing.’

He said Giggs and Ms Greville both tripped and fell to the floor in the kitchen at his home and she kicked him in the face as he tried to disentangle himself, and was not even aware that the complainant’s sister was in the house at the time and certainly did not elbow her.

The alleged headbutt was ‘not only a nasty lie but a ridiculous one’, he said, as the evidence will show there was mere ‘minor and accidental contact’ between their faces.

He went on: ‘In stark contrast to the picture painted by Ms Greville, Mr Giggs did not control or coerce at all.’

The court heard that Ms Greville was employed by PR firm Tangerine for part of the alleged period of controlling behaviour and also by Giggs’ own company, GG Hospitality.

Mr Daw said his client encouraged her career ambitions and went on to introduce most of her clients when she set up her business herself and earned a six-figure salary.

He said Ms Greville was ‘always completely financially independent’ and was free to travel and see her friends.

Giggs stood down in June as manager of the Wales national team following a period of leave since November 2020.

During his time at Old Trafford, Manchester United won 13 Premier League titles, two Champions League trophies, four FA Cups and three League Cups.

He won 64 caps for Wales and is co-owner of League Two side Salford City.

Giggs met Ms Greville in 2013 after she helped promote his Hotel Football venue, launched with ex-United teammate Gary Neville.

He divorced his wife Stacey in December 2017. 

Giggs found love again with lingerie model, Zara Charles, 33, who has ‘supported’ him through the charges.