England and Manchester United defender Harry Maguire reportedly refused opportunities to pay a £43,500 bribe to Greek police to resolve his Mykonos assault case, just days before receiving a 15-month suspended sentence. The 33-year-old footballer was found guilty of non-serious assault, resisting arrest, and attempted bribery in a retrial on Wednesday, six years after a brawl during a family holiday in August 2020.
Maguire's Legal Battle and Appeal Plans
Maguire did not attend the retrial on the island of Syros as he was preparing for Manchester United's match against Newcastle. The verdict came after one judge found him not guilty, while two others delivered a guilty verdict, prompting Maguire to announce plans to appeal to the Greek Supreme Court. He described the ruling as 'a shambles' and vowed to continue fighting to clear his name.
Alleged Bribery Offers and Maguire's Stance
Sources claim that Maguire was repeatedly told that paying £43,500 would settle the case, but he insisted on proving his innocence instead. A source close to Maguire stated, 'He would rather be found guilty than pay a bribe. No apology or payment will ever be made, and Harry will clear his name. He won’t stop fighting until that happens.' The alleged bribery offers were reportedly made by undercover police involved in the 2020 incident.
Background of the Case and Initial Conviction
The long-running legal saga began during a summer holiday in 2020, a year after Maguire joined Manchester United in an £80 million transfer from Leicester City. He was initially found guilty of aggravated assault, resisting arrest, and attempted bribery in 2020, receiving a 21-month suspended sentence that was automatically quashed on appeal under Greek law. The retrial faced multiple postponements due to his defence counsel's unavailability, a Greek lawyers' strike, and other delays in 2023 and 2024.
Maguire's Account of the Incident
Maguire's lawyers argued that two Albanian men injected his sister Daisy with an unknown substance in a bar, causing her to faint. When the group called for transport to a hospital, they were instead taken to a police station where Maguire claims plain-clothed officers assaulted him. He recounted, 'My initial thought was we were getting kidnapped. They just started hitting us, saying my career was over.' The prosecution countered that Maguire pushed a policeman, causing injuries, and offered bribes—claims Maguire called 'ridiculous.'
Impact and Future Legal Steps
Maguire expressed regret for putting fans and the club through the ordeal but maintained his innocence, stating, 'I don't feel like I owe an apology to anybody. An apology is when you've done something wrong.' With the statute of limitations approaching in two years, doubts were raised about the trial's occurrence. Maguire, who played the full 90 minutes in Manchester United's 2-1 defeat to Newcastle after the verdict, remains determined to pursue his appeal, relying on Greek law and additional evidence to overturn the conviction.
