Harry Maguire is found GUILTY of assaulting Greek police and gets 15-month suspended jail sentence for Mykonos brawl
Harry Maguire is found GUILTY of assaulting Greek police and gets 15-month suspended jail sentence for Mykonos brawl
Following a retrial in Greece, Harry Maguire has received a suspended 15-month jail term for charges including non-serious assault, resisting arrest, and attempted bribery. The verdict was reached after a majority of judges concluded his guilt, though one juror ruled him not guilty.
The England defender was absent from the Syros hearing, as he prepared for Manchester United’s match against Newcastle on Wednesday night. Maguire’s legal team will now pursue an appeal with the Greek Supreme Court, aiming to challenge the outcome.
Maguire had previously declined several settlement offers, including a £43,500 proposal presented during a recess in the trial. The retrial, which occurred nearly six years after his initial arrest in August 2020 following a brawl in Mykonos, was delayed multiple times due to procedural issues.
Retrial Delays and Legal Context
The case was postponed four times: first in May 2023 for lack of defense counsel, then in February 2024 due to a Greek lawyers’ strike, and again in March and October of the previous year. There were even concerns the trial might not proceed before the statute of limitations expired in August 2028.
Maguire, who turns 33 on Thursday, did not attend the hearing in person. His lawyers argued that the evidence was insufficient to secure a conviction, claiming he was targeted by officers during a chaotic situation.
The Incident in Mykonos
Maguire’s defense highlighted that two Albanian men injected his sister Daisy with an unknown substance in a bar during a family outing. As Daisy collapsed, Maguire and his group were taken to a police station, where he alleged he was attacked by officers.
“My initial thought was we were getting kidnapped. We got down on our knees. We put our hands in the air. They just started hitting us. They were hitting my legs, saying my career was over. No more football. ‘You won’t play again’.”
Maguire described the confrontation, stating: “At this point, I thought there’s no chance. These are police, or I don’t know who they are. So I tried to run away. I was in that much of a panic, fear, scared for my life all the way through it.”
During the trial, Maguire was seen at the Bonbonniere bar in an Instagram story shared by his sister Daisy. The prosecution countered by asserting he pushed a policeman during a struggle, leading to injuries, and that he attempted to bribe officers. Maguire dismissed these claims as “ridiculous.”
Current Situation and Future Plans
Maguire is set to play for Manchester United in their clash with Newcastle at St James’ Park, having recovered from an illness that forced him to leave Sunday’s 2-1 win over Crystal Palace. Despite the conviction, he expressed confidence in the Greek legal system, believing a retrial would clarify the facts.
He added: “I have great faith in the Greek law. A retrial will give us more time to gather the evidence, allow witnesses into the court, and I’m really confident that the truth will be told and come out.”
