Manchester United captain Harry Maguire has filed an appeal against his conviction for assault and attempted bribery of a police officer, and will get a retrial, the Premier League club said Wednesday.
Maguire was handed a 21-month suspended sentence on Tuesday following his arrest after a brawl last week on the Greek island of Mykonos.
United said Maguire's legal team filed the appeal against the verdict on Wednesday and that he has been granted a full retrial “in a more senior court.”
“This means,” United said, “that Harry has no criminal record and is once again presumed innocent until proven guilty.”
The club did not give a date for the retrial.
Maguire, who is the world’s most expensive defender and plays for England’s national team, was not present at the trial on the nearby island of Syros on Tuesday, when he also was found guilty of swearing in public.
Two other defendants — including Maguire’s brother, Joe — were also found guilty on similar charges and handed 13-month sentences. The sentences for all three defendants were suspended for three years.
The 27-year-old Maguire had already issued a statement saying he would be appealing.
“I remain strong and confident regarding our innocence in this matter,” Maguire said. “If anything, myself, family, and friends are the victims.”
Part of Maguire’s defense was that his sister, Daisy, had been injected with an unknown substance prior to the incident.
Yannis Paradeisis, a lawyer assisting with the prosecution and representing four police officers who were allegedly assaulted in the brawl, told The Associated Press that he was disappointed by Maguire’s behavior.
Paradeisis added: "The whole thing could have ended with an apology.″
Maguire's brother, Laurence, said in a tweet there was “no chance” of an apology being issued.
United has defended Maguire, highlighting the fact his defense team felt it was not given adequate time to digest the full details of the charges against him. The club said it looked forward to a “full and fair hearing” at a later date.
England manager Gareth Southgate withdrew Maguire from the squad for the Nations League matches against Iceland and Denmark next month after the verdict was announced, having initially selected him.
“I have made this decision in the best interests of all parties and with consideration of the impact on our preparations for next week,” Southgate said.
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Steve Douglas is at https://twitter.com/sdouglas80
