The prosecutors behind Harry Maguire’s conviction in Greece have called for the Manchester United star to be punished by the Premier League and other football bodies after he was handed a 15-month suspended sentence.
Maguire was found guilty of non-serious assault, resisting arrest and attempted bribery in relation to the incident six years ago following a retrial in the Greek Criminal Appeal Court on the island of Syros on Wednesday and has called the case a shambles and said he plans to appeal.
Ioannis Paradissis, the lawyer for the police officers who claimed they were injured trying to arrest Maguire, hit out at the player for not apologising and took the bold step of calling for him to face further punishment from the football authorities.
Paradissis issued a statement saying: ‘During the hearing, the police officers who were the victims in this case attended expecting, at minimum, an apology from the accused — an elementary gesture of respect toward individuals who were simply performing their lawful duty.
‘No such apology was offered, a stance that speaks volumes about his character. It must be underlined that it is absolutely unacceptable for police officers, in the lawful exercise of their functions, to suffer bodily harm at the hands of a member of the public, even if such harm is legally classified by the court as ‘light bodily injury’.
Harry Maguire pictured with his sister Daisy in Mykonos 2020 prior to being arrested
Maguire played for Manchester United on Wednesday night hours after the court hearing
‘In light of this, the competent sporting bodies and football authorities are called upon to examine this matter without delay and to impose the sanctions that justice demands.
‘It is incompatible with the values of sport, and with the role-model status that elite athletes are expected to embody, for a person with a criminal record for violence to continue to appear as a Premier League player and as a public figure looked up to by young fans across the world.’
Maguire did not have to attend court in person and was able to play for United in their 2-1 defeat to Newcastle at St James’ Park on Wednesday night.
The case was heard nearly six years after his arrest following a brawl on family holiday in Mykonos.
It led to a conviction on the more serious charge of aggravated assault and a suspended 21-month sentence, both of which were automatically quashed on appeal.
The footballer pictured at the Bonbonniere bar on an Instagram story shared by his sister Daisy
After a panel of three judges found Maguire guilty by a 2-1 majority at the retrial, it emerged that he had turned down offers to pay £43,500 to settle the case out of court, even as late as a recess in Wednesday’s hearing.
Maguire, who turns 33 on Thursday, has branded the trial process ‘a shambles’ according to sources, and vowed to appeal to the Greek Supreme Court. However, Paradissis insisted that the conviction will stand because the player has already been given a retrial.
The lawyer added: ‘Following the judgment, the accused stands definitively condemned at appellate level for assault and related offences committed against police officers, and he now carries a criminal conviction on his record.
‘This remains the case even should he choose to lodge a cassation appeal, as such a remedy is limited strictly to points of law and does not disturb the factual findings of the appellate court, nor does it erase the criminal record that has been established.’
There were no travel restrictions attached to Maguire’s conviction by the court in Syros, but it’s unclear if it would affect his chances of obtaining a US visa if selected for England’s World Cup squad this summer.
