Manchester United defender Harry Maguire’s long-running legal battle in Greece has taken another dramatic turn. Nearly six years after the infamous Mykonos incident, the England international has once again been found guilty, this time receiving a suspended 15-month sentence. The verdict follows multiple delays and appeals, but Maguire remains determined to clear his name, insisting he did nothing wrong.
Harry Maguire Handed Suspended Prison Sentence
Maguire has been found guilty on all three counts by a Greek court. The England international has been on trial following an incident in August 2020. Maguire was in Greece in August 2020, enjoying his vacation with friends and family, when he was involved in an incident with the Greek police. The Man United star’s minibus was pulled over by officers in plain clothes after a brawl at a bar, after which he tried to run away, reportedly following a failed attempt to bribe the police.
A Greek court had found the England international guilty of aggravated assault, resisting arrest, and repeated attempts at bribery. He was sentenced to 21 months in prison, but was handed a retrial after appeal.
The former Leicester City star’s lawyers have been battling the case for years, as it has been postponed four times. The final verdict was announced today, March 4, amid reports that it would be postponed again.
The aggravated assault charges have now been classified as ‘non-serious’, but the resisting arrest and bribery charges have remained untouched. The new verdict has given him a 15-month suspended sentence, meaning he will not serve any jail time.
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However, the Englishman is set to challenge the guilty verdict again, insisting he did nothing wrong, after rejecting several attempts to settle the case out of court. Sky Sports News reports that the Manchester United star wants to clear his name legally and does not see a reason ot settle or accept the verdict.
Recalling the night in an interview with the BBC in 2020, Maguire said that the brawl started after two men approached his sister and had mixed something in her drink, leading her to faint. Talking about the police stopping his minibus and trying to arrest them, he admitted that they tried to run away after the officers started beating them and threatening to end his career after they identified him. He said:
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“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’. 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.”
Harry Maguire was removed from the England squad under Sir Gareth Southgate after the initial guilty verdict, but made his way back to the team later. However, he has not called up since 2024.
