Dubai employer of Giggs’s ex-girlfriend tried to block his emails, court hears

The former Wales and Manchester United footballer denies all charges against him

Former Manchester United footballer Ryan Giggs arrives at Manchester Crown Court. PA

The UAE-based employer of footballer Ryan Giggs's ex-girlfriend tried to block his “intense” emails because they were “interfering with her work”, a court heard.

Elsa Roodt said that Q Communications had “no other option” but to try to block emails from the former Manchester United star because his partner, Kate Greville, “couldn't do her work”.

As the second week of the trial got under way, Ms Greville’s sister, Emma, 26, also gave evidence, telling the court that Giggs said to her: “I will headbutt you next,” after he allegedly assaulted her older sister.

Manchester Crown Court jurors first heard evidence from Ms Roodt, who appeared on a video link from Dubai.

She said she started PR firm Q Communications in Dubai with Ms Greville's university friend Katie Harvey in about 2010, and employed Ms Greville to help set up their Abu Dhabi office in 2016.

“At one stage, early on in her employment, we had to call our internet provider to block Ryan Giggs's email,” she told the court.

“It was intense and Kate couldn't do her work. It was interfering with her work and we had no other option than to try and block his email.”

Ms Roodt said that when Ms Greville started working for the company she was “very bubbly, very happy”, but described a noticeable difference in her over time.

She told the court that at one point Ms Greville “started to be very distracted” and seemed “a lot more worried”, becoming preoccupied with answering her phone and “being available at all times”.

Ms Roodt was asked by prosecutor Peter Wright QC about seeing Ms Greville the day after an incident with Giggs at the Westin Hotel in 2017.

She said Ms Greville had bruises on her arm and “had been crying” and told her the pair had an argument in the hotel room.

The witness also described seeing Ms Greville with bruises on her arm after an incident in February 2020.

Emma Greville said Giggs placed his hands on her sister’s shoulders during an argument and headbutted her in the lip “with lots of force”.

“He put both his hands on Kate's shoulders and with lots of force used his head to headbutt her in the lip,” she said. “She fell to the ground screaming and covering her face.

“Afterwards he told me it was my fault he had headbutted Kate and turned to me and said 'I will headbutt you next'.

“I felt fear because he had headbutted Kate, so why would he not do the same to me.”

Giggs denies assaulting Kate Greville, causing her actual bodily harm, and assault by beating of Emma Greville.

He also pleaded not guilty to controlling and coercive behaviour against Kate Greville between August 2017 and November 2020.