Maguire feared for his life during Greece arrest

LONDON • Manchester United and England defender Harry Maguire said on Thursday he was "scared" for his life and thought he was the victim of a kidnapping when he was arrested on the Greek resort island of Mykonos.

The Red Devils captain was given a suspended sentence of 21 months and 10 days after being found guilty of repeated bodily harm, attempted bribery, violence against public employees and insult.

However, the 27-year-old told BBC Sport that plain-clothed police officers, who he says did not identify themselves, pulled over his group's minibus, threw him off the vehicle and hit him in his legs.

Maguire said he tried to run away because he had no idea who the men were, insisting that his "conscience is clear" and the bribery allegations were "ridiculous".

"They hit me a lot on the legs. I was in that much of a panic. Fear. Scared for my life," he added. "Obviously, the situation has made it difficult for one of the biggest clubs in the world, so I regret putting the fans and the club through this, but I did nothing wrong.

"I found myself in a situation where it could have happened to anybody and anywhere.

"I thought we were getting kidnapped. We got down on our knees, we put our hands in the air, they just started hitting us. They were hitting my leg saying my career's over, 'No more football. You won't play again.' And at this point I thought there is no chance these are police or I don't know who they are, so I tried to run away."

On Wednesday, his legal team lodged an appeal against the verdict. Under Greek law, the appeal nullifies the original conviction so there will be a full retrial.

According to media reports, a fight started at a nightclub over claims his younger sister Daisy had been injected with what the defence said was a suspected date-rape drug, leading to the arrest.

But Ioannis Paradissis, the prosecution lawyer who represents the Greek policemen in the case, told the Daily Mail that Maguire's account was "unbelievable".

"I've seen and read what was said and it only adds further insult to the harm he caused the policemen he attacked and the Greek justice system as a whole," he said yesterday. "Three policemen were injured and had to be treated at hospital. A rich man came to Mykonos and thought he could behave how he wants. He then goes on an international TV channel to justify his actions and there is not a single sorry to us in anything he says."

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE