Harry Maguire: Manchester United Captain Handed Suspended Jail Sentence For Bribery, Assault

Manchester United captain Harry Maguire has been found guilty by a Greek court of repeated bodily harm, attempted bribery, violence against public employees and insult after his arrest on the Greek island of Mykonos.

The 27-year-old has been given a suspended sentence of 21 months and 10 days in prison after his trial on the Greek island of Syros.

The England international who was named in Gareth Southgate’s squad for the Home Nations League earlier today was not in court for the sentencing.

Following the verdict on Tuesday, Maguire said that he had instructed his legal team “with immediate effect to inform the courts we will be appealing”.

“I remain strong and confident regarding our innocence in this matter – if anything myself, family and friends are the victims,” he added.

The sentence is suspended for three years because it is a first offence and the charges were misdemeanours.

The charges of “assault”, “bodily harm”, “verbal abuse” and “attempted bribery” stem from an altercation with police officers for which Maguire and his brother Joe, 28 and Christopher Sharman, 29 others were arrested last Thursday.

Joe Maguire has been found guilty of repeated bodily harm, violence against public employees and attempted bribery.

Sharman has been found guilty of insult, repeated bodily harm and violence against public employees.

Both were sentenced to 13 months in prison, suspended for three years.

All three men denied all charges.

Manchester United said in a statement: “Harry Maguire pleaded not guilty to all of the misdemeanour charges made against him and he continues to strongly assert his innocence.

“It should be noted that the prosecution confirmed the charges and provided their evidence late on the day before the trial, giving the defence team minimal time to digest them and prepare. A request for the case to be adjourned was subsequently denied.

“On this basis, along with the substantial body of evidence refuting the charges, Harry Maguire’s legal team will now appeal the verdict, to allow a full and fair hearing at a later date.”

Greek media reported that the fight started when someone in the other group hurt Maguire’s sister.

“Three British men, one of whom is a footballer for a British team, attacked police officers on Thursday night, slightly injuring four of them and were arrested,” Petros Vassilakis, a Syros police official, told AFP on Friday.

The police asked the three men to follow them to the station, but they tried to escape, Vassilakis said.

According to the official police statement, a second fight broke out at the local police station where the three men “fiercely resisted, pushing and hitting three officers”, according to the same statement.

One of the suspects then tried to bribe the officers to cover up the incident, according to a Greek police source.

One policeman alleged that while at the police station, Maguire said: “Do you know who I am? I am the captain of Manchester United. I am very rich. I can give you money. I can pay you. Please let us go.”

His colleague added that Maguire had said to him: “Please, let me go. I am very rich. I can pay. I am the leader of Manchester United.”

The defence argued that this request may have been lost in translation and suggested Maguire may have been asking to pay a “fine” to be released.

In response to the charge of insult, the defence added that the defendants said things which did not imply diminished professionalism by the police officers.

Maguire’s lawyers said the defendants had been beaten, an assertion confirmed by a forensic expert, and added that Maguire became angry only after he was as hit on his “golden leg”, insinuating his dominant leg in football.