Harry Maguire has been found guilty of aggravated assault and bribery following a brawl on the Greek island of Mykonos which led to his arrest.
The Manchester United captain was arrested while on holiday in Greece after an altercation with local police on Thursday night, during which Maguire is alleged to have verbally abused the officers and physically assaulted them.
Maguire was today found guilty of aggravated assault, attempted bribery and resisting arrest by a three-member misdemeanours court on the island of Syros, despite an attempt by the centre-back’s lawyer to delay the hearing due to the prosecution providing insufficient time to review the formal charge sheet. Maguire has been sentenced to a 21 month suspended jail term.
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The England international, named earlier today in the Three Lions squad for upcoming games against Iceland and Denmark, indicated that he and his team will appeal the guilty verdict, and attempt to overturn the decision while continuing to protest his innocence.
Maguire’s older brother, Joe, and friend Christopher Sharman were also found guilty by the panel.
The brawl was allegedly kicked off by two men who assaulted the centre-back’s sister, and when the player and the rest of his group tried to take her to the hospital following the initial fight, the driver instead took them to the police station, according to the defendants’ lawyer.
The Manchester United captain is alleged to have offered to bribe the police to let them go, while the police have been accused of kicking and shoving Maguire.
#MUFC confirm Harry Maguire will appeal against his sentence. The court has handed him a 21-month suspended jail term. United note Maguire maintains his innocence and will fully fight this verdict.
— Rob Blanchette (@_Rob_B) August 25, 2020
Greece’s penal code will likely spare the centre-back any jail-time, as there is a scheme in place which allows defendants to convert their sentences into a monetary penalty.
This presents a headache for Manchester United’s manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, as regardless of the final verdict on the case, he is unlikely to be pleased with his captain’s conduct while on holiday, the effects of which could spill over into the 2020-21 season.