Manchester United captain Harry Maguire has been given a suspended sentence of 21 months and 10 days in prison after his trial on the Greek island of Syros on Tuesday. The England defender, 27, was found guilty of repeated bodily harm, attempted bribery, violence against public employees and insult after arrest on Mykonos.
The sentence is suspended for three years because it is a first offence and the charges were misdemeanours
Harry Maguire did not attend the trial in Syros
After the verdict, he said that he had instructed his legal team “with immediate effect to inform the courts we will be appealing”.
Maguire was arrested along with brother Joe, 28, and Christopher Sharman, 29, on Thursday on the island of Mykonos after an altercation with police.
Joe Maguire has been found guilty of repeated bodily harm, violence against public employees and attempted bribery.
Sharman has been found guilty of insult, repeated bodily harm and violence against public employees.
Both were sentenced to 13 months in prison, suspended for three years.
All three men denied all charges.
The trial lasted 10 hours, reports, local media cyclades24.gr.
According to BBC Sport, Manchester United said in a statement: “Harry Maguire pleaded not guilty to all of the misdemeanour charges made against him and he continues to strongly assert his innocence.
“It should be noted that the prosecution confirmed the charges and provided their evidence late on the day before the trial, giving the defence team minimal time to digest them and prepare. A request for the case to be adjourned was subsequently denied.”
Maguire’s lawyer Alexis Anagnostakis told the court the events stemmed from Maguire’s sister Daisy being injected by a substance by a group of Albanians and she immediately fainted.
The defendants called for transport and asked to be driven to a hospital, but were instead taken to a police station.
The prosecution said Maguire, his brother and friend then physically and verbally attacked police officers.
One policeman alleged that while at the police station, Maguire said: “Do you know who I am? I am the captain of Manchester United. I am very rich. I can give you money. I can pay you. Please let us go.”
His colleague added that Maguire had said to him: “Please, let me go. I am very rich. I can pay. I am the leader of Manchester United.”
The defence argued that this request may have been lost in translation and suggested Maguire may have been asking to pay a “fine” to be released.
BBC.
And at the end of the day… the disaster!
Harry Maguire has been withdrawn from the England squad by Gareth Southgate, hours after being included.https://t.co/p8RkdjOuRr pic.twitter.com/btttA4o9aA
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) August 25, 2020
