Nicky Butt: Assault charge dropped against ex-Man United star

An assault charge has been dropped against former Manchester United midfielder Nicky Butt.

The retired football star, 45, was due to go on trial next week over allegations he assaulted his ex-wife Shelley Barlow last April.

However, the case was discontinued after the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) offered no evidence.

Ms Barlow reportedly did not want to testify against her husband.

An investigation involving Mr Butt was launched in April last year, after police were called to a Greater Manchester address where they found a woman with a small cut to her hand.

At an earlier hearing, the 45-year-old’s lawyer Lisa Roberts QC said her client would argue he didn’t know how the complainant came about any injury.

Mr Butt, now head of coaching at Manchester United’s youth academy, had previously pleaded not guilty to common assault and causing £800 of criminal damage to Ms Barlow's mobile phone.

A CPS spokesman said on Tuesday: “We have a duty to keep all cases under review and following the receipt of new material have decided to discontinue this prosecution.

“Mr Butt has agreed to accept a caution for criminal damage.”

A preliminary hearing was due to take place at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday in which Mr Butt’s legal team was expected to argue the case should be thrown out as an abuse of process – partly questioning the proportionality of continuing with the prosecution.

The footballer, from Bowdon, Altrincham, won a string of Premier League titles during his career at Old Trafford and also played in the club’s dramatic 2-1 victory over Bayern Munich in the 1999 Uefa Champions League final.

Following his arrest last April, it was reported that, months earlier, he had separated from his wife of 11 years – with whom he has two children.

Additional reporting by PA.

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