A star athlete. A $ 82,000 restaurant bill for a drunken encounter on a run-down island. A fight, arrests and – less than a week later – a conviction. But no conclusion.
The saga of Harry Maguire, the captain of Manchester United who was found guilty by a Greek court on Tuesday on multiple charges, has taken Britain prisoner, although much hangs over the incident in confusion.
Following the verdict convicting him of aggravated assault, resisting arrest and attempted bribery, Mr Maguire, 27, appealed the decision and posted a quote on social media attributed to Buddha.
“Three things cannot be hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.”
Although the truth may eventually be found, it may remain out of sight for a while. And for many observers of the high profile scandal, the truth of the moment differs depending on the point of view.
The case presented by Greek prosecutors is as follows:
Late one night last week, on the whitewashed streets of the old town on the island of Mykonos, ordinary policemen were drawn to a disturbance. Mr Maguire and members of his party were militant and confronted the police, abusing and physically assaulting, officials said.
During the ensuing one-day trial on the nearby island of Syros, the capital of the Cyclades archipelago, the court was told that Mr Maguire was trying to use his fame and fortune to get out of trouble, according to media accounts of the process.
“Did you know who I am?” he said, according to the prosecutor’s account. ‘I’m the captain of Manchester United. I’m very rich. I can give you money. I can pay you, please let us go. ”
Mr Maguire’s defense team denied that he had said so, and presented a very different version of events.
In her narration, Mr Maguire’s party had been confronted by warring hooligans the night before. Trying to provoke Mr Maguire, they sang songs about one of the most tragic moments in the history of Manchester United, the 1958 crash of the team plane in Munich, which resulted in the death of 23 members of the team. and employees.
The next night, Mr. Maguire’s group was again confronted by the same men. Then things took a darker turn, according to Mr Maguire’s staff.
Mr Maguire’s friend, Ashden Morley, told the court that Mr Maguire’s sister, Daisy, was approached by “two Albanian-looking” men because some of the group were buying kebabs.
He testified that Mrs. Maguire’s eyes “rolled” into her head, causing the group to be afraid that she would slip or be injected with a form of a “rape drug”.
“All the girls started crying, other people came down and there was a real commotion,” Mr Morley told the court, according to media reports.
Mr Maguire and his friends tried to leave in a minibus that the football star had rented, but they were stopped by a group of men in two cars.
“The door was opened by a man,” said Mr Morley. ‘We thought we were robbed or abducted. Everyone was very scared. ”
The men who stopped the minibus might have been policemen, but if that was the case, Mr Maguire and his friends were unaware of it, the defense maintained. It portrayed the police as the aggressors, but the court was not convinced.
Mr Maguire was convicted and sentenced to 21 months and 10 days in prison, although his sentence was suspended for three years while legal challenges play out. Two of Mr.’s employees. Maguire were also convicted and sentenced to 13 months in prison, also suspended for three years.
“I remain strong and confident regarding our innocence in this matter – as myself, family and friends what are the victims,” Mr Maguire said in a statement.
In fact, it could take years before the case goes to the country’s court, according to a Greek legal expert.
The first trial and conviction, only days after the conflict, took place so quickly because of a Greek legal process that allows rapid trials of those who are considered to be caught in the act.
Christos Mylonopoulos, a law professor at the University of Athens and president of the European and International Criminal Law Institute, said although an appeal must be filed within 10 days of sentencing, the resolution could take years. The timing, he said, will depend on the case law of the justice system.
Since Mr Maguire has been convicted of only criminal offenses under Greek law, the court has a maximum of eight years to reconsider the case, Mr Mylonopoulos said.
Manchester United said that because the court accepted Mr Maguire’s appeal, he was considered innocent and would be free to travel pending a full trial.
But for Mr Maguire, the fallout has been immediate. He was suspended from playing at least two games for the English national team, and his future is in doubt.
Manchester United have defended their star player, for whom they paid more than $ 100 million when taking over Leicester City in the English Premier League. He earns more than $ 230,000 a week, and the team said Wednesday in a statement that he would remain the team captain for the time being.
The team, among the most valuable sports franchises in the world, finished third in the pandemic-delayed Premier League season that ended last month. That won it a place in the prestigious Champions League, the annual tournament among the top clubs throughout Europe.
While the playing career of Mr. Maguire’s main concern for fans is the coverage of the saga is fueled by reports about the lavish lifestyle that a privileged couple has.
In particular, the details of the $ 82,000 tab for one five-hour bacchanal at the ritzy SantAnna Beach Club have been ripped through by many news accounts in British and Greek media.
More than $ 60,000 of the bill handled expensive champagne, the reports said. Most of the rest was spent on lobster, steak and cocktails.
It was a high price for a day at the beach. But it turned out to be only a fraction of the cost of Mr Maguire’s Greek holiday.
Marc Santora reported from London and Iliana Magra from Athens. Tariq Panja contributed reports from London.
