Manchester United captain Harry Maguire was found guilty of aggravated assault, resisting arrest and repeated bribery attempts after being involved in a fight in Greece.
Manchester United captain Harry Maguire has been found guilty of aggravated assault, resisting arrest and repeated bribery attempts after being involved in a fight in Greece, a court on the island of Syros ruled on Tuesday.
Maguire's charges were brought to trial alongside his brother and a friend after the three were arrested last Thursday night while on vacation in Mykonos. The 27-year-old got involved in the fight over claims that Maguire's sister was injected with a suspected "rape drug" by two Albanian men.
When officers attempted to intervene, one the defendants said, "f---, f--- the police” and an officer was punched, according to prosecutors.
Maguire pleaded not guilty to all three charges and spent two nights in custody after he was arrested. When he first arrived at the police station, Maguire allegedly 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."
With the conviction, Maguire was sentenced to 21 months and 10 days in prison but the punishment will likely be suspended since it is a first offense and charges were misdemeanors.
None of the defendants were in attendance for the trial and Maguire's legal team plans to appeal the verdict to allow for "a full and fair hearing at a later date."
Following the verdict, Maguire said in a statement issued to ESPN, "I remain strong and confident regarding our innocence in this matter - if anything myself, family and friends are the victims."
"Manchester United notes the verdict of the Greek court today," the club said in a statement. "Harry Maguire pleaded not guilty to all three 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."
The lawyer who assisted in the verdict, Yoannis Paradissis, told Sky News that the victims are awaiting an apology, stating they were "totally appalled" by the defendants' behavior.
"When you're a sportsman and a role model you have to accept what you've done and say sorry," Paradissis said. "Until today, we haven't had that - they have said it's all the fault of the policeman. This was not accepted by the court. The victims and the policeman were assaulted. The only thing they want is an apology."
Prior to the trial's verdict, Manchester United had called up Maguire in preparation for England's UEFA Nations League games next month.