Former Manchester United footballer and ex-Wales manager, Ryan Giggs, will not face a retrial on allegations of assaulting his ex-girlfriend.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) withdrew the charges against him during a hearing at Manchester Crown Court.
Giggs, 48, had denied allegations of assault, controlling or coercive behavior towards Kate Greville, 38, and assaulting her sister Emma.
Judge Hilary Manley directed that he was not guilty on all three counts.
The retrial, which was scheduled to begin on July 31 at Manchester Crown Court, has been averted following the CPS’s decision.
This development comes after the previous trial in August last year, where jurors failed to reach verdicts after more than 20 hours of deliberation.
During the recent hearing, Giggs was not present in court, as the judge had excused his attendance.
Chris Daw KC, Giggs’s defense barrister, expressed the former footballer’s relief at the case finally coming to an end after nearly three years of fighting to clear his name.
Daw stated, “Mr. Giggs is deeply relieved that the case has finally come to an end after almost three years of fighting to clear his name. He now intends to rebuild his life and career as an innocent man.”
