City star in court on rape charges
MANCHESTER City star Benjamin Mendy has appeared in court charged with four counts of rape at his home in Prestbury.
Three of the alleged attacks are said to have taken place on a date in October, 2020.
The fourth alleged offence was said to have happened on a date last week.
He is also charged with a sexual assault on a date in January this year.
All four alleged offences are said to have happened at the player’s home.
The charges relate to three women aged over 16.
The 27-year-old French national appeared in the dock at Chester Magistrates’ Court on Friday.
Wearing black jogging bottoms, Mr Mendy appeared in court in custody and stood in the glass fronted dock of court 1 to confirm his name, date of birth and address.
An interpreter relayed the details of the charges to Mr Mendy as they were read out in court.
The defendant remained seated while his lawyer, Christopher Stables, applied for his client to be released on bail.
Prosecutor Debbie Byrne opposed the application.
Following a hearing that lasted 58 minutes, District
Judge Jack McGarva told the defendant to stand and said he was adjourning the case until September 10, when the defendant is due to appear at Chester Crown Court. The judge turned down the application for bail and Mr Mendy was remanded into custody until his next appearance.
No pleas were entered but Mr Stables said his client strenuously denies the allegations.
Mr Mendy had also been charged with one bail offence but this was formally withdrawn by the judge, who appeared in court via video-link.
Manchester City have suspended the left-back until the conclusion of the proceedings.
The defender, who joined from Monaco in 2017, has played a full part in City’s pre-season and started games against
Leicester in the Community Shield and Tottenham in the Premier League before being an unused substitute at the weekend against Norwich.