HARRY Maguire has today said “the truth can’t be hidden” – hours before it was announced he faces a retrial after he was yesterday found guilty of bribery, aggravated assault and resisting arrest over the Mykonos brawl.
The £85million Man Utd captain, 27, avoided jail and being hit with a fine as he was convicted of all charges in a Greek court.
And this afternoon, it was confirmed he is set for a retrial.
A Manchester United spokesman insisted their skipper now has no conviction or criminal record and is innocent.
A spokesman for Manchester United said: “An appeal against yesterday’s verdict was lodged this morning by Harry’s legal team
“In accordance with the Greek judicial process, the filing of an appeal extinguishes the initial court verdict and nullifies the conviction.
“The appeal has been accepted and will lead to a full retrial in a more senior court.
“This means that Harry has no criminal record and is once again presumed innocent until proven guilty.”
Maguire says he is the victim he was yesterday handed a 21-month and ten day suspended sentence and was pulled from the England squad for the matches against Iceland and Denmark.
And in the early hours of this morning, the star posted on Instagram: “Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth – Buddha.”
His sister Daisy uploaded the same message just hours after the verdict.
Maguire confirmed he would be appealing his conviction in a fiery statement branding himself and his family “the victims” shortly after the verdict.
He commented: “Following the hearing, I have instructed my legal team with immediate effect to inform the courts we will be appealing.
“I remain strong + confident regarding our innocence in this matter – if anything myself, family + friends are the victims.” #MUFC”.
What we know so far:
- Harry Maguire avoided jail after yesterday being found guilty of all charges
- But today it’s been announced that he will face a retrial
- He has slammed the verdict and branded himself the “victim” as he confirmed he would appeal
- He was pulled from the squad thus evening hours after he was named in Gareth Southgate’s England squad
- It came as the court was told sister Daisy was injected in the arm by Albanian men, causing her to faint
- After being taken to a police station, Maguire was kicked in the leg by a cop who told him his career was “over”, it was said
- The court was told Maguire then tried to pay cops off – boasting: “Don’t you know who I am?”
A lawyer for two of the six policemen involved in the case called the defender a “disgrace” and accused him of “inventing a pack of lies”.
Ioannis Paradissis told MailOnline: “Maguire and his friends then invented a story about Albanians attacking his sister.
“I’ve never heard such rubbish. This was a shameful attempt to cover up their disgusting behaviour and an insult to Albanians and the Greek police.
“He should hang his head in shame and return to Greece to apologise.”
Yesterday’s verdict plunged Maguire’s club career into chaos.
There were even fears it could see him stripped of his captaincy at Man Utd.
It could have massively harmed his England career as Gareth Southgate dropped him from the international squad for the upcoming Nations League games just hours after initially naming him in it.
The strict gaffer had warned centre-back Maguire’s place could be dropped “if facts or information changes”.
Man Utd statement in full
Manchester United notes the verdict of the Greek court.
Harry Maguire pleaded not guilty to all of the misdemeanour 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.
On this basis, along with the substantial body of evidence refuting the charges, Harry Maguire’s legal team will now appeal the verdict, to allow a full and fair hearing at a later date.
The trial went ahead in the absence of all three defendants yesterday despite repeated pleas to postpone it.
After being found guilty of of aggravated assault, resisting arrest and repeated attempts of bribery, Maguire was handed a 21-month and ten-day suspended sentence for three years as it was his first offence.
His brother Joe and pal Chris Sharman, who stood trial alongside him, were given suspended sentences of 13 months after also being found guilty.
The verdicts come after a bombshell one-day trial heard how the brawl between cops and the trio erupted when Maguire’s sister Daisy was “injected with a rape drug”.
One cop required first aid when handcuffed Maguire attempted to break free – as another pal yelled “f**k, f**k the police”.
After they were taken inside a police station, £190,000-a-week Maguire boasted about how “rich” he was as he tried to pay police off, it was said.
He bragged: “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”.
Maguire is then said to have continued boasting about how “very rich” he is, adding: “I am the captain of Manchester United”.
The court was also told how Daisy was approached by two mysterious Albanians in Mykonos as her brother and a group of pals went to get burgers after a night out boozing.
But Maguire’s fiancee Fern Hawkins soon realised her eyes were “rolling into the back of her head” – with the Albanians then fleeing, it was claimed.
Giving evidence at the Utd captain’s trial in Syros, friend Ashden Morley said: “We held Daisy. Daisy began to start fitting. All the girls were screaming.
“People were coming down asking what happened, there was a large commotion.”
At this point, a minibus Maguire had booked showed up so the panicked group piled on and told the driver they wanted to go to a hospital, it was said.
But Mr Morley said they realised two cars were behind them “following our every movement” before the vehicle pulled up in a courtyard.
He added: “Our bus door opened and five or six males tried to force us off the bus by physically pulling us.”
The quantity surveyor, 28, told the court how they all feared they would be kidnapped and “held at ransom” as they were beaten with batons and kicked and stamped on by undercover cops.
One officer then allegedly kicked Maguire on the leg and told him: “Your career is over”.
As the girls were “in hysterics crying their eyes out”, the England star, 27, was arrested along with brother Joe and pal Chris Sharman.
The claims were made yesterday as the trial kicked off in explosive fashion.
Maguire’s top human rights lawyer Alexis Anagnostakis earlier tried three times to postpone the case but the judge dismissed his protests.
Once it finally got underway, he told the trial how the defender was “attacked by an Albanian group”.
He also denied the group would say “f**k Greece” – claiming “they love the country and are keen on the ancient Greek culture”.
It was then claimed there is video shot from outside Mykonos police station showing how the police “mistreated” them.
The footage also shows them in a state of “extreme agony”, Mr Anagnostakis said.
The lawyer added: “My clients did not beat anyone, accost anyone, or injure anyone.”
Dad Alan travelled to the court on the Greek island of Syros to support his sons.
But none of the defendants – including Maguire – were in court when the verdict was given.
They had been partying in a swanky nightclub in Mykonos when sister Daisy was approached by a group of Albanian men.
It was previously alleged she was stabbed in the arm with a metal straw when she spurned the advances of the “gangster types”.
The jab drew blood – with big brother Harry stepping in to defend her when a fight broke out.
A source said: “Harry saw what was happening and remonstrated with them and things got heated.
“He decided to try to get out of there and wanted to hail a taxi. But he ended up arguing with some undercover police officers and ended up at the local police station.”
The brawl came after a marathon drinking session costing £63,000 over three days.
Exclusive video obtained by The Sun earlier showed him partying with team-mates Lingard, 27, and Brandon Williams, 19.
Others there included Love Island star Chris Hughes, 27, snooker ace Judd Trump, 31, and Lottie Moss, 22, the sister of supermodel Kate.
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Sheffield-born Maguire became the world’s most expensive defender when he signed for Utd from Leicester City for £85million in August last year.
He was named captain in January this year following Ashley Young’s departure to Inter Milan.
He is next due to play at Old Trafford for their first game of the season on September 19 against Crystal Palace.
