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RYAN Giggs used his teenage daughter as leverage to try to stop his ex-girlfriend's sister dialling 999 during a drunken row, a court heard today.

The former Manchester United footballer is accused of headbutting then-partner Kate Greville then threatening to do the same to her younger sibling Emma at his home in Greater Manchester.

Ryan Giggs fist bumps a fan as he walks into Manchester Crown Court
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Ryan Giggs fist bumps a fan as he walks into Manchester Crown CourtCredit: PP.
Giggs' ex-girlfriend Kate Greville has accused him of coercive and controlling behaviour and ABH
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Giggs' ex-girlfriend Kate Greville has accused him of coercive and controlling behaviour and ABHCredit: Tim Stewart

As Giggs returned to the witness box for a second day of cross-examination, Manchester Crown Court was told Emma called police after the argument on November 1, 2020, turned violent.

Giggs allegedly placed his hands on Kate's shoulders and headbutted her in the lip "with lots of force" before yelling at Emma: "I'll headbutt you next."

Prosecutor Peter Wright QC told jurors he had tried to use "emotional blackmail" to stop Emma going into detail to the cops, which he denied.

Kate can be heard saying to her then-boyfriend in the background of the call: "I don't care if your daughter is 17, I don't care about your daughter."

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Mr Wright asked Giggs, 48, whether he was "seeking to dissuade" Emma from reporting the incident further, to which he replied: ";Yes."

Mr Wright added: "And you were seeking to use your daughter as the lever, weren't you?"

The ex-Wales manager responded: "Yes."

Giggs was arrested on suspicion of assaulting Kate, 38, following the incident at his home in Worsley, but today he denied the attack after "completely losing his self-control".

Mr Wright quizzed him about the prepared statement he gave to police the day after the incident, in which he said a "scuffle" broke out over Kate's phone, and that his head clashed with hers accidentally.

Mr Wright said: "The reality is you headbutted her, didn't you?", to which Giggs replied: "No."

The prosecutor then said: "Because in this dispute with her, you had, by that stage, completely lost your self control."

The former footballer repeated: "No."

He also denied threatening to headbutt Kate's youngster sister Emma in a drunken rage.

Giggs told the court he "didn't know" why he had put in his police statement: "On both occasions I was attacked."

And he agreed with Mr Wright that it was "an important assertion to be making".

Giggs also denied intending to harm Kate "emotionally or physically", insisting that was "the last thing I would ever want to do".

'I'LL STALK YOU LIKE MAD'

The court yesterday heard how Giggs told Kate "I'll stalk you like mad - I'm good at that" before turning up at her home after they split up.

In a series of emails, the ex-Wales boss allegedly threatened to go to her property while warning: "I will get in."

He admitted "showing up unannounced to Kate's home, workplace and gym", but denied seeking to control her during their relationship.

Jurors were also told how Giggs is unable to resist an attractive woman, admitting he lied to former wife Stacey and other girlfriends "many times".

Moments after he began giving evidence, Chris Daw QC, defending, asked: "You're known in news articles as a love cheat. Is that reputation justified?"

Giggs - who confirmed he's a "flirt by nature" - replied: "Yes."

The barrister said: "In the course of your relationship with women, have you managed to be faithful to any of them?"

The footballer said: "No."

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Giggs denies using controlling and coercive behaviour against Kate between August 2017 and November 2020, causing actual bodily harm, and the common assault of her sister Emma, 26.

The trial continues.

Former Manchester United footballer Ryan Giggs arriving at court today
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Former Manchester United footballer Ryan Giggs arriving at court todayCredit: PA
A court sketch of the former footballer giving evidence at Manchester Crown Court
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A court sketch of the former footballer giving evidence at Manchester Crown CourtCredit: PA
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