Former Manchester United star Ryan Giggs compared his ex-girlfriend Kate Greville to Fort Knox ‘because it’s full of gold’, his domestic abuse trial today heard.
In a toe-curling display of affection, the former footballer, 48, messaged the PR executive comparing her to the famous US Army base in Kentucky. When Ms Greville asked why she was being compared to the base, Giggs replied: ‘Because it’s full of gold.’
The base is next to the United States Bullion Depository – which stores a large portion of the United States’ official gold reserve – but does not contain any gold itself.
The court also heard how the former Wales star signed off one text to Ms Greville referring to himself as ‘Giggsy’ – a nickname commonly used throughout his football career.
In another cringeworthy exchange, read out to jurors, Giggs also told Ms Greville he had made ‘scrambled eggs a la chef Giggsy’ for breakfast, and messaged her saying: ‘I think you’re fandabidozi’.
He also wrote an acrostic poem using the first letters of Ms Greville’s surname, including ‘Gorgeous’ for ‘G’, ‘Vivacious’ for ‘V’ and ‘Everything I’ve Ever Wanted’ for ‘E’.
Many of the messages contained a number of kisses at the end, which lawyers in the case had initially read out by saying ‘kiss, kiss’ at the end of each text.
However Judge Hilary Manley eventually interrupted the barristers to say they do not need to read out the ‘kisses’ at the end of each message. The barristers, who are acting as Giggs and Ms Greville as they read out the exchanges, both agreed.
Yesterday, on day nine of the trial, lawyers read out a cringeworthy poem to Ms Greville and shared messages in which he made grandiose proclamations of his love during the course of their rocky relationship.
In one particularly explicit poem, read out in court as part of the former footballer’s domestic assault trial, with Giggs’s 66-year-old mother Lynn present, the former Wales midfielder wrote to the PR executive: ‘My darling Kate, Unequivocally our love was fate.
‘I fell in love with you at first sight. I remember cos I was as high as a kite. Those beautiful eyes made me shiver. I’m not going to lie I think of you I dream of you. Can’t help thinking pulling you was my greatest ever coup.
‘That stomach, those abs, those pictures you send so I can keep tabs. You make me feel funny down there. Especially when you’re there and you look up and stare.
‘I am beginning to think you are always right. That’s ok it will keep us tight. I’m gonna end by saying you are my love, my friend, my soul. And most of all you believe in me which makes me as hard as a totem pole.’
Manchester Crown Court heard the father of two sent the poem on August 31, 2017 – the day the coercive control is alleged to have started.
It was sent in response to a poem from Ms Greville in which she wrote: ‘You make my heart flutter because you are a nutter. Every day you do me proud not just because you are well endowed.’
The court also heard how, during their ‘toxic’ six-year on-and-off relationship, Giggs wrote several texts making strong declarations of love.
In one, the ex-football star, who made 632 appearances in England’s top division, wrote: ‘I love you to the next planet those clever f****** at Nasa finds. Plus all my Premier League appearances, which is a lot. Love you baby.’
In a series of more toned-down texts, Giggs also described Ms Greville as ‘my sunshine, my wish, my soulmate, my strength, my one and only’.
In the WhatsApp messages, Miss Greville referred to the former Wales manager as ‘Giggsy-baby’, while Giggs called her ‘baby cakes’.
Giggs – who earlier this week told the jury he and his girlfriend had even rowed about how to stack their dishwasher – added: ‘You’re a painting, supermodel, thoroughbred, an absolute dream…’
In one message, in June 2017, Miss Greville talked about the couple getting old together and ‘still laughing’ when they were 70.
In another, he claimed the ‘best place in the world’ was not ‘in Bali or the Caribbean’ or ‘playing golf with my mates’ but in bed, with Miss Greville snuggled in the ‘little crevice under my chin… legs interlinked’. She replied: ‘That’s my favourite place in the world.’
It comes after the court yesterday heard Giggs attempted to make himself out as the ‘victim’ after allegedly attacking his former girlfriend and her sister during a row at his £1.7million mansion.
The ex-Premier League star is accused of assaulting Ms Greville – who claims Giggs ‘deliberately’ headbutted her – during the incident at his home in November 2020.
He is also accused of assaulting Ms Greville’s sister Emma – who was dog sitting on the night of the incident and who claims Giggs elbowed her after she tried to intervene.
Giggs denies the charges, as well as using controlling and coercive behaviour towards Kate during their ‘toxic’ six-year on-and-off relationship, and is currently on trial at Manchester Crown Court.
The ex-Premier League star (centre) is accused of assaulting Ms Greville – who claims Giggs ‘deliberately’ headbutted her – during the incident at his home in November 2020
Ex-Manchester United star Ryan Giggs (pictured right) wrote a series of cringeworthy poems to his ex-girlfriend Kate Greville (pictured left) and shared messages in which he made grandiose proclamations of his love during the course of their rocky relationship.
One poem in which Giggs told Ms Greville: ‘You are my soul… you makes me as hard as a totem pole,’ was read out before the court
Taking to the witness box for the first time in his domestic assault trial, the ex-footballer (pictured here in a court sketch), 48, admitted to being ‘a flirt by nature’ who has ‘never’ been faithful to his ex or any of his former girlfriends
The ex-footballer this morning faced a second day of cross-examination from prosecutor Peter Wright QC, who probed Giggs on his statement to the police the day after his alleged assault on ex, Ms Greville.
Giggs laughed when asked by his barrister Chris Daw QC if he knew what the word impetuous meant. Giggs replied: ‘I’m not too sure.’ He had been asked if he was impetuous by prosecutor Peter Wright QC the previous day.
Mr Wright accused Giggs of lying to police over allegations he ‘flipped’ and headbutted his ex-girlfriend during an argument at his £1.7million home in Worsley, Manchester, on November 1, 2020, when she learned he had been cheating with at least eight women.
The prosecutor asked Giggs about discrepancies between a prepared statement he gave to police the day after his arrest and live evidence heard in a 999 call made by Miss Greville’s sister, Emma, and on bodycam footage captured by officers sent to investigate the alleged assault.
Mr Wright questioned why, when Emma, 26, called police, and Giggs heard her telling the operator about the alleged headbutt, he did not say it was ‘rubbish’ or an ‘accident’ as he later claimed. ‘I don’t know,’ Giggs said.
Mr Wright yesterday asked the former Wales midfielder why he had put in his statement to police that: ‘On both occasions I was attacked.’ Speaking from the witness box, Giggs responded: ‘I don’t know’.
Mr Wright said: ‘It is because you had at this stage lost all sense of reason and you were seeking to turn the narrative of what happened into one in which you were the victim?’ Giggs said: ‘No.’
Giggs also denied using ’emotional blackmail’ to stop Ms Greville’s sister, Emma, from calling the police on the night of the alleged assault, in November 2020.
During a 999 call made by Emma to the police, played to the jury earlier in the trial, she can be heard saying: ‘I don’t care if your daughter is 17′. Giggs, under questioning from Mr Wright, denied using his daughter, Libby, as ’emotional blackmail’.
But he accepted he was attempting to stop Emma from calling the police. Mr Wright added: ‘You were seeking to use your daughter as the lever, weren’t you?’ ‘Yes,’ Giggs said again.
Yesterday, Giggs denied headbutting his ex-partner after ‘completely losing his self-control’ during an argument.
Mr Wright asked Giggs about the prepared statement he gave to police the day after the incident, in which he said a ‘scuffle’ broke out over Ms Greville’s phone, and that his head clashed with hers accidentally.
The prosecutor said: ‘The reality is you headbutted her, didn’t you?’ Giggs said: ‘No.’ Mr Wright said: ‘Because in this dispute with her, you had, by that stage, completely lost your self control.’ Giggs repeated: ‘No.’
He also denied threatening to headbutt Ms Greville’s sister Emma.
Giggs was also asked about the line in his statement: ‘The last thing I would ever want to do is harm her (Ms Greville) emotionally or physically.’ Asked by Mr Wright if that was true, Giggs said: ‘Yes.’
Mr Wright said: ‘Or is it in fact that these are the two things you did intend so far as this woman is concerned?’ Giggs replied: ‘No.’
Ms Greville (pictured) previously told the court she had found evidence on an iPad that Giggs had engaged in ‘full-on’ relationships with eight other women during their six-year on and off relationship, and initially told police at the scene the number was as high as 12
He agreed with Mr Wright that after the ‘scuffle’ he had been ‘chastising’ Emma Greville for calling the police. Mr Wright said: ‘You were blaming her for what had happened, weren’t you?’ Giggs replied: ‘Yes.’
Mr Wright asked: ‘Why were you blaming Emma?’ Giggs said: ‘I don’t know.’
Mr Wright also asked Giggs if he heard Emma Greville say to the 999 call operator: ‘He said he is going to headbutt me’.
Mr Wright asked: ‘Did you hear that allegation by her?’ Giggs said: ‘I’m not too sure.’
Mr Wright reminded Giggs he could be heard saying ‘thanks’ in the background during the emergency call.
Mr Wright asked: ‘Why were you saying that?’ Giggs told the court: ‘I don’t know.’
Mr Wright said: ‘You were certainly not saying it to be grateful, were you?’ ‘No,’ said Giggs.
Mr Wright said: ‘It was said sarcastically, wasn’t it?’ Giggs said: ‘I don’t know.’
Mr Wright said: ‘What you were doing was blaming her?’ ‘No,’ replied Giggs.
It comes after Giggs earlier this week broke down in court as he described staying in a police cell on the night of his arrest for allegedly assaulting his ex-girlfriend as ‘the worst experience of my life’.
The former footballer said he was ‘so scared’ after being taken to Pendleton police station for allegedly headbutting Ms Greville during the row at his £1.7million mansion. He added that he got ‘hardly any’ sleep that night and spoke to a solicitor for the first time the next day.
Giggs also told the court that he believed PR executive Ms Greville was trying to leave his home with their cocker spaniel puppy ‘Mac’ on the night of the alleged assault.
He told jurors that during the row both he and Ms Greville fell to the floor after ‘slipping on shopping bags’ as he attempted to grab his phone from her.
Giggs claimed she kicked him ‘six or seven times’ in the head and that, after getting up, they engaged in a ‘tug-of-war’ in which they ‘clashed heads’.
Earlier this week Giggs admitted in court to being a ‘love cheat’ who can ‘never’ resist an attractive woman as he admitted to cheating on his first wife with Ms Greville following his ‘very public’ affair with his sister-in-law.
While in the witness box, the ex-footballer admitted to being ‘a flirt by nature’ who has ‘never’ been faithful to any of his former girlfriends.
In a candid summary of his love life, the ex-Premier League star admitted that he is ‘never’ able to resist an attractive woman – regardless of whether or not he is in a relationship.
He also told jurors that he had been unfaithful to his ex-wife, Stacey Giggs during a ‘very public affair’ – referencing his eight-year fling with his sister-in-law that saw her fall pregnant – and a later entanglement with now ex-girlfriend Ms Greville, an affair he admitted allowed him to ‘have his cake and eat it’.
However he strongly denied ever attacking Ms Greville, who has accused him of ‘headbutting’ her during a row at his £1.7million mansion. When asked if he had ever had ever assaulted a woman, Giggs replied: ‘No’.
The court also heard how Giggs admitted to sending ‘flirtatious’ messages to another woman during his relationship with Ms Greville.
The ex-Premier League star said his former partner went through his phone and found the messages before sending them to her phone and then confronting him with them.
Giggs also told the court that Ms Greville once showed him a picture of a dress he bought for a girl she had previously accused him of ‘being with’.
And while he accepted that Ms Greville had been correct in alleging he had been flirting with some women, he also told the court that there were occasions where she had ‘incorrectly’ accused him.
In cross examination by prosecutor Mr Wright, Giggs accepted he was a ‘man with many faults and flaws’.
Meanwhile, jury members were also told by Giggs how he and Ms Greville made explicit videos together and had a ‘healthy sex life’ which sometimes became ‘rough’.
He said he and Ms Greville recorded X-rated videos during their relationship. When asked what he did with the videos when he and Ms Greville were going through an off period, Giggs told the court that he deleted them from his phone.
The former Wales winger also said that when he and Ms Greville would rekindle their romance that she would then send them to him again.
Kate Greville and her sister, Emma. Giggs denies assaulting and using controlling and coercive behaviour against Kate (left) and Emma (pictured right)
Ms Greville (pictured) has told the court she returned to the UK from the Middle East thinking she would be in a relationship with Giggs, but he instead became more distant
Last week the court heard accusations from Ms Greville that Giggs was having ‘full-on’ affairs with eight other women during their ‘toxic’ six-year on-off relationship.
The PR executive made the discovery after accessing the football star’s iPad having ‘made it my mission to find out the truth’ about his other lovers, she told police.
She said how, during what she called a ‘cycle of abuse’, Giggs ‘dragged’ her out of the bedroom of a five-star hotel – leaving her naked in the corridor – after she accused him of ‘manically’ flirting with other women during a night out.
He then threw a bag containing her laptop at her head, giving her a ‘massive lump’, Manchester Crown Court heard.
When she attempted to leave him over his alleged flings and ‘controlling’ behaviour, Giggs would ‘bombard’ her with up to 50 messages an hour and threatened to ruin her career, she claimed.
Eventually she got into his iPad as she ‘needed to know the truth’ – and the ‘reality’ of his cheating was ‘way worse than I could imagine’, she said.
Giggs stood down in June as manager of the Wales national team following his arrest.
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.
Giggs’ legal counsel, Chris Daw QC, 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.The trial continues.
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