Manchester United and England defender Harry Maguire has been handed a 15-month and 20-day suspended prison sentence by a Greek appeals court, upholding an earlier conviction for aggravated assault. The verdict effectively ends a six-year legal battle stemming from a bar brawl on the island of Mykonos in 2020.
The three-member panel of judges on Syros reduced the original 21-month and 10-day suspended sentence and imposed a non-negotiable fine of €1,500. The court also ruled that the verdict applied to Maguire’s brother, Joe, and a friend, who were with him during the incident. However, a conviction for attempting to bribe a police officer against Joe Maguire was dropped.
Prosecution lawyer Ioannis Paradissis welcomed the ruling, saying: “Today, the court upheld the conviction and justice was done. Policemen sustained injuries that night. They have not forgotten what happened to them and they are still awaiting an apology. Not once has Maguire shown any remorse.” The legal team representing the four Greek policemen praised the decision.
Maguire’s defence team vowed to take the case to Greece’s supreme court, though legal experts noted that only points of law could be argued at that level. In court, his lawyer maintained that Maguire bore no responsibility and believed he was being abducted when police intervened aggressively.
Under Greek law, an appeal process automatically nullifies a conviction before a senior court examines the case. This was the fifth time a tribunal convened for the retrial, with previous proceedings being adjourned. Maguire was not present in court on Wednesday and was preparing for Manchester United’s match against Newcastle.
