Harry Maguire ‘made up absurd story in ridiculous interview’, says Greek lawyer
THE Greek lawyer who led the prosecution against Harry Maguire on the Mykonos bar brawl has slammed his “absurd” BBC interview.
The Manchester United ace refused to apologise as he spoke to the BBC last night, claiming he was “scarred for life” after Greek cops handcuffed him before bashing his legs with a baton.
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Prosecution lawyer Ioannis Paradissis has branded the account “a fantasy” while slamming the £85million defender for his lack of apology.
He told the Sun: “I am appalled and saddened that Maguire should continue to deny the truth and make up stories.
“I’ve seen what Maguire said and it’s ridiculous and only adds further insult to the harm he caused the policemen he attacked and the Greek justice system as a whole.
“There were six witnesses who gave exactly the same account of the events that evening. The bus was never stopped on the side of the road, as he claims.
“After the altercation when the police arrived and intervened to stop the fight they instructed the driver to go straight to the station.
“Why would he then be afraid of being kidnapped by people who identified themselves as policemen at the police station?
“It’s absurd and part of this fantasy story he is now saying.
“I understand his desire to say he is innocent but it is very disappointing that he continues not to acknowledge the people who did suffer violence that night which at one point he admits in the interview saying ‘I didn’t hurt him as much as they hurt me.'”
Mr Paradissis denied reports which suggest Maguire’s conviction is now void, insisting it has merely been suspended until the case goes to appeal.
Last night was Maguire’s first interview since he was handed a 21-month suspended prison sentence following a brawl on the Greek island last week.
Breaking his silence, a defiant Harry told the : “I did nothing wrong.”
He said plain clothes cops whacked him repeatedly and taunted him “your career is over, no more football, you won’t play again”.
“I thought we were getting kidnapped.
I thought we were getting kidnapped. We got down on our knees, we put our hands in the air, they just started hitting us.
Harry Maguire
“We got down on our knees, we put our hands in the air, they just started hitting us,” the 27-year-old said.
He went on: “They were hitting my leg saying my career is over, ‘No more football. You won’t play again’.
“And at this point I thought there is 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.”
HARRY SPEAKS OUT
Harry also gave a chilling account as he claimed two men approached his little sister Daisy, 20, in a bar – an event which pals have claimed sparked the fracas.
He said: “I’m confident that something happened with Daisy, there was a mark on her arm, she had a little stab mark on her arm… a little needle mark on her arm.
“She was fine, she wasn’t drunk and then she finds herself in and out of consciousness. For sure something happened to her.”
Voice breaking with emotion, he added: “My fiancee Fern saw her eyes going to the back of her head, she was fainting, going in and out of consciousness.”
Maguire said he was trying to take her to hospital when he was arrested – and said he will not apologise for his actions.
I don’t feel like I owe an apology to anybody. An apology is something when you’ve done something wrong
Harry Maguire
“I don’t feel like I owe an apology to anybody. An apology is something when you’ve done something wrong,” he said.
The England defender has vowed to clear his name after he was convicted over the scrap with cops on the Greek island last week.
Maguire was found guilty of repeated bodily harm, attempted bribery, violence against public employees and insulting behaviour after his arrest in the brawl during which two police officers were assaulted.
Maguire denied throwing any punches and rubbished claims he tried to bribe the police saying “do you know who I am?”.
When asked about the allegation, he replied: “No, for sure. As soon as I saw that statement, it’s just ridiculous.”
He said: “It was horrible. It’s not something I ever want to do again.
I regret putting the fans and the club through this.
Harry Maguire
“I don’t wish it on anybody. It’s the first time I’d ever been inside a prison.”
Harry went on: “I regret putting the fans and the club through this.”
He added: “I found myself in a situation where it could have happened to anybody and anywhere.”
Maguire said his “conscience is so clear” and yesterday his lawyers lodged an appeal against his convictions.
The move nullifies the initial verdict and means there will be a retrial in a more senior court.
The former Sheffield United, Hull and Leicester player Maguire is not certain he will remain United captain but is positive “the truth will be told” in the retrial.
He said: “It’s a massive privilege to play for the club, never mind to be captain. It’s not my decision to make.
I have great faith in the Greek law, the retrial will give us more time to prepare, gather the evidence, allow witnesses into the court.
Harry Maguire
“I have great faith in the Greek law, the retrial will give us more time to prepare, gather the evidence, allow witnesses into the court.”
Maguire is the most expensive defender in the football history having transferred from Leicester City to Man United for around £85million last season.
However, he was was dropped from Gareth Southgate’s England squad having initially been included before his conviction on Tuesday.
Pals had claimed Maguire and his group — arrested last weekend — were given a “welcome” by up to eight men armed with batons when they arrived at a police station in Mykonos.
Authorities refused to allow medical evidence gathered by his legal team which detailed bruising he sustained.
Phone footage which showed Maguire’s pals confronting two Albanians who allegedly tried to inject his sister Daisy, 20, with a drug was also not allowed to be submitted.
Earlier today, The Sun exclusively revealed Maguire was spotted for the first time since his trial as he broke cover at a hotel in Europe.
Maguire looked casual in a blue polo shirt, shorts and a baseball cap with a face mask on.
A source said: “Harry is very disappointed at how things played out in court.
“His team was given two hours to examine a 50-page prosecution file.
“They repeatedly asked for an adjournment but weren’t given one.
“The trial went on until late and it makes everyone think that the authorities were determined to deal with the case, whether it had due process or not.
“Harry is confident that the appeals process will provide him with the opportunity to clear his name.”
Maguire’s family and friends have leapt to his defence after the trial on Tuesday.
Another pal said Maguire is “hellbent on clearing his name”, adding: “He respects the legal process.”
Fiancee and mum of his two kids, Fern Hawkins, shared a tweet posted by Love Island‘s Chris Hughes insisting the truth will come out.
Chris, who was on the Greek island with the family, posted: “I pray when the truth comes out the horrendous ordeal that Harry and his family have been through in Greece will be a firm reminder that situations shouldn’t be judged by anybody until they know anything.
‘HORROR FILM’
“They’re the most genuine, lovely family, who’ve lived through a horror film.”
The tweet was also shared by Maguire’s sister Daisy, who was said to be injected with a rape drug before the brawl erupted.
Brother Joe Maguire, who was convicted alongside the defender, also shared it in on Instagram.
Manchester United insisted their skipper now has no conviction or criminal record and is innocent.
Bosses at United said: “An appeal against yesterday’s verdict was lodged this morning by Harry’s legal team.
“In accordance with the Greek judicial process, the filing of an appeal extinguishes the initial court verdict and nullifies the conviction.
“The appeal has been accepted and will lead to a full retrial in a more senior court.
“This means that Harry has no criminal record and is once again presumed innocent until proven guilty.”
Meanwhile, a lawyer for two of the six policemen involved in the case called the defender a “disgrace” and accused him of “inventing a pack of lies” after the initial verdict.
Ioannis Paradissis told : “Maguire and his friends invented a story about Albanians attacking his sister.
“I’ve never heard such rubbish. This was a shameful attempt to cover up their disgusting behaviour and an insult to Albanians and the Greek police.
“He should hang his head in shame and return to Greece to apologise.”