Manchester City footballer Benjamin Mendy cleared of one count of rape
The Manchester City defender Benjamin Mendy has been found not guilty of one count of rape on the direction of the judge at his trial at Chester crown court.
Judge Stephen Everett on Tuesday ordered a jury to clear Mendy, 28, of an allegation that he raped a 19-year-old woman at his Cheshire mansion on 24 July last year.
Mendy’s co-accused, Louis Saha Matturie, was also found not guilty on the direction of the judge of two counts of rape and one allegation of sexual assault involving the same woman.
The judge made the order after the prosecution offered no further evidence.
Both men remain on trial for multiple sexual offence charges, including rape.
The judge warned jurors not to speculate as to why the prosecution had decided not to pursue guilty verdicts in relation to the charges concerned and to continue to “faithfully” try the defendants on the charges they still face.
Earlier, jurors heard evidence of the existence of a 20-minute mobile phone video taken by Matturie of him and the woman having sex. The court was told that the woman agreed to be filmed.
The woman had told the jury Matturie sexually assaulted her at a flat in Salford on 1 August last year after clubbing at Chinawhite nightclub in Manchester.
Lisa Wilding KC, defending Matturie, suggested what happened between them was, “consensual, willing and enthusiastic” sex, not rape.
The woman denied this, claiming the incident left her feeling “shamed and disgusted”.
Wilding continued: “When you and he had sex ... you and he filmed that sex. You know that you and he had a discussion beforehand, words to the effect: ‘Let’s make our own little movie’.”
The witness replied: “No. I wouldn’t do that.”
Wilding said: “He had his phone right in front of you all the time you and he were having sex.” The woman replied: “I was not aware of that.”
Wilding said: “You looked directly at the camera more than once, enjoying what you were doing?” The woman, who became tearful, replied: “No.”
The defence barrister said the woman would be asked to look at some images.
The hearing was then adjourned and when court resumed after lunch, Timothy Cray KC, prosecuting, told the court that the prosecution was not now seeking guilty verdicts on alleged sexual offences involving the 19-yearold complainant.
Jurors were then directed to enter not guilty verdicts against the defendants.
The rape charge dropped against Mendy related to a week before the incident with Matturie, when the woman had alleged that after a night out clubbing she awoke at Mendy’s house to find the 28-year-old footballer raping her.
The same night, 24 July last year, Matturie is also alleged to have raped heraccording to DNA evidence, but she has “no memory” of that, the court heard. That count was also dropped.
Prosecutors have alleged Mendy is a “predator”.
Mendy still faces seven counts of rape, one count of attempted rape and one count of sexual assault against six young women.
Matturie, the footballer’s friend and alleged “fixer”, is accused of having had the job of finding young women for sex.
Matturie of Eccles, Salford, denies six counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault relating to seven young women.
The alleged offences by Mendy are said to have taken place at his gated mansion in the hamlet of Mottram St Andrew, near Macclesfield, between October 2018 and 2021. The nearest village, Prestbury, was a 15-minute walk along an unlit country lane, the jury has heard.
Both men say if any sex did take place with women it was consensual.
The trial was adjourned until Wednesday morning.
• Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues is available from the following organisations. In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support on 0808 802 9999 in England and Wales, 0808 801 0302 in Scotland, or 0800 0246 991 in Northern Ireland. In the US, Rainn offers support on 800-656-4673. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800 737 732). Other international helplines can be found at ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html