Harry Maguire set for retrial after being granted appeal against assault conviction in Greece

Harry Maguire is set to have a full retrial after being granted an appeal against his conviction for assault and attempted bribery in Greece.

The Manchester United captain was given a 21-month suspended jail sentence on Tuesday following his arrest after a brawl last week on the island of Mykonos.

United said Maguire‘s legal team filed the appeal against the verdict on Wednesday and that it has been accepted.

A spokesman for the club 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. Accordingly, he is not subject to any international travel restrictions.”

It is understood no date has yet been fixed, and while the club would like the matter dealt with as soon as possible, they recognise it could be a number of months before the appeal is heard.

Maguire was not present at the trial on Tuesday on the nearby island of Syros, when he was also found guilty of swearing in public.

He was later removed from the England team by manager Gareth Southgate.

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.

Maguire posted on Instagram after being removed from the England squad over the assault conviction, sharing a quote attributed to Buddha, which said: “Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon and the truth.”

The 27-year-old defender was found guilty of all charges by the court in Syros, which were assaulting a police officer, swearing, resisting arrest and attempted bribery.

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He was arrested with his brother and their friend Christopher Sharman after a fight broke out, while he was on holiday in Mykonos, over claims his sister was injected with a suspected “rape drug”.

Manchester United said in a statement Maguire “continues to strongly assert his innocence” and the trial gave his lawyers “minimal time to digest the charges and prepare”.

Speaking after the verdict, Yoannis Paradissis, the lawyer who assisted the prosecution, told Sky News the victims were still waiting for an apology and were “appalled” at Maguire trying to blame police officers.

The footballer pleaded not guilty to all three charges and spent two nights in custody after he was arrested.

Maguire has made 26 appearances for England. The team are due to play Iceland on 5 September and Denmark three days later in the UEFA Nations League.

(c) Sky News 2020: Harry Maguire set for retrial after being granted appeal against assault conviction in Greece