Manchester United captain Maguire gets suspended sentence over brawl

In trouble
Manchester United captain Harry Maguire, right, leaves a court building on the island of Syros, Greece, on August 22. Photo: Reuters

Athens: England and Manchester United defender Harry Maguire was handed a suspended sentence of 21 months and 10 days by a Greek court on Tuesday after he was found guilty of multiple charges following a brawl on the island of Mykonos last Thursday.

British media reported he had been found guilty of repeated bodily harm, attempted bribery, violence against public employees and insult after his arrest.

The 27-year-old England international was one of three people arrested on Thursday after an altercation with police.

"Following the hearing today, I have instructed my legal team with immediate effect to inform the courts we will be appealing," Maguire said in a statement.

"I remain strong and confident regarding our innocence in this matter - if anything myself, family and friends are the victims."

Maguire was arrested, along with brother Joe and friend Christopher Sharman, on Thursday night after a brawl in which two police officers were allegedly assaulted on Mykonos.

Joe Maguire was found guilty of repeated bodily harm, violence against public employees and attempted bribery. Sharman was found guilty of insult, repeated bodily harm and violence against public employees.

Harry Maguire
Manchester United captain Harry Maguire. File photo: Reuters

All three men had denied the charges against them.

Manchester United captain Maguire, who was released from custody over the weekend, was not present at the trial before a judge on the nearby island of Syros on Tuesday.

As the trial went ahead, England coach Gareth Southgate selected Maguire in his squad for next month's Nations League matches against Iceland and Denmark.

Maguire is being represented by Greek human rights lawyer Alexis Anagnostakis, whose request for an adjournment was rejected.

Anagnostakis told the court that two Albanian men had approached Maguire's sister Daisy - who fainted immediately after being injected with an unknown substance.

The defendants asked to be driven to a hospital, but were instead taken to a police station, he added.

A police witness for the prosecution told the court that Maguire attempted to bribe his way out of the situation.

"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," the witness told the bench.

Former Leicester City player Maguire's ill-fated trip to the popular Greek holiday island followed his club's semifinal defeat by Sevilla in the Europa League in Cologne.

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