Ryan Giggs' former girlfriend moved to Abu Dhabi to 'get away' from ex-Manchester United footballer

The ex-girlfriend of Ryan Giggs moved to Abu Dhabi" to "get away" from the former Manchester United football star, a court has heard.

Giggs is alleged to have head-butted Kate Greville in November 2020 and elbowed her sister in the jaw in the same incident, when his partner tried to leave him after years of "coercive and controlling behaviour", the Manchester Crown Court heard.

Greville claimed her ex-lover controlled, assaulted and gaslighted her throughout the pair's on-off four-year relationship, which she says began after the pair met in 2013, when they were both already married.

The footballer denies the charges against him.

Greville left her husband to pursue her relationship with Giggs within two months of their affair, but when the footballer did not return the favour with his wife Stacey Cooke, she gave him an ultimatum.

After witnessing no change, she decided to move to the Emirates, she claimed.

“That went on for about nine months and then I decided he is not going to split up with Stacey, that is not happening. I went to live in Abu Dhabi to get away from him,” Greville said in a police interview shown in court.

The UAE has also experienced its own high-profile abuse cases, including British expatriates and holidaymakers.

Human Rights Watch said last year that despite recent improvements the UAE still must do more on women's rights.

The ex-footballer allegedly bombarded Greville with messages and assured her she was the "only person" he wanted to be with and that the pair could start a family together, which convinced Greville to move back to the UK.

She claimed that she later discovered - shortly before deciding to leave him - that he was in "full-on relationships" with eight other women while the pair were dating.

"The reality of what I had found... was way worse than I could imagine... Eight women he was having affairs with while he was with me. Full-on relationships," she said.

Greville was offered his first professional contract with Manchester United in 1990 and ended his successful career with them in 2014 before becoming the manager of Wales' national team.

The footballer announced his resignation from his managerial position in June 2022 after being charged with assaulting Greville and her sister.

The trial continues.