What is a suspended prison sentence? Manchester United captain Harry Maguire’s charges explained following altercation in Greece

Maguire has been dropped from the England squad following his guilty verdict
Harry Maguire was handed a 21-month suspended prison sentence following an altercation with police in Greece (Getty Images)Harry Maguire was handed a 21-month suspended prison sentence following an altercation with police in Greece (Getty Images)
Harry Maguire was handed a 21-month suspended prison sentence following an altercation with police in Greece (Getty Images)

Harry Maguire has been found guilty of assaulting a police officer, resisting arrest and repeated attempts of bribery following an incident on Greek Island Mykonos.

Following the news of his guilty verdict Harry Maguire was immediately removed from the England squad shortly after being selected by Gareth Southgate.

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More pressing for Maguire is his punishment from Greek authorities – a 21-month suspended prison sentence.

The suspended nature of the sentence means it's unlikely that the Sheffield-born defender will be required to serve anytime behind bars.

Harry Maguire’s legal team has since lodged an appeal against the guilty verdict.

How does a suspended sentence work?

A suspended sentence is a prison sentence issued by a court and then delayed for a defined amount of time.

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This allows the convicted person a period of probation where they are subject to conditions, which if breached, will result in them carrying out their prison sentence.

Conditions may include carrying out community service or complying with a curfew.

The conviction is treated by many employers as seriously as a custodial sentence.

What did Harry Maguire do?

Maguire was one of three Englishmen arrested by Greek police on Thursday night.

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The head of the press office for the Hellenic Police’s South Aegean region said there had been an altercation and an exchange of words with the police, and that the three men would appear before a prosecutor on the island of Syros later on Friday.

Maguire, brother Joe and friend Christopher Sharman have all been accused of repeated bodily harm and violence against public employees.

Both Maguires are also accused of bribery, while Harry and Sharman are accused of insult.

All three men deny all charges.

Harry Maguire’s lawyer, Alexis Anagnostakis, says that the incident stems from Maguire’s sister Daisy being injected with a substance by a group and fainting.

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They asked to be taken to a hospital but were instead taken to a police station, where Maguire alleges he was hit in the leg and told “your career is over”.

What has Harry Maguire said?

Harry Maguire vowed to appeal his sentence and insisted that he is innocent.

Following his hearing on Tuesday Maguire told reporters: “Following the hearing today, I have instructed my legal team with immediate effect to inform the courts we will be appealing.

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

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A Manchester United statement said: "An appeal against yesterday's verdict was lodged this morning by Harry's legal team.

"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."