Mendy ‘fixer’ ‘shocked to hear rape accuser was 17’

BENJAMIN Mendy’s ‘fixer’ told police he was shocked to discover a young woman who accuses him of rape was 17 years old.

Louis Saha Matturie, then aged 39, told police officers who interviewed him he believed his accuser was ‘maybe 20.’

As Mr Mendy, of Prestbury and Mr Matturie’s trial over a series of sexual allegations continued, jurors heard Mr Matturie interviewed about allegations he had raped and sexually assaulted a young woman at a flat near Manchester centre he is said to have kept for the City player.

During the interview, read out for the court, jurors heard police tell Mr Matturie the girl was actually 17.

The jury heard Mr Matturie told investigators there had been a ‘misunderstanding,’ and he said: “I leave everything to God.

“I have nothing more to say.”

His accuser, known as Woman Nine, accuses Mr Matturie of rape and sexual assault at a flat he is said to have kept for Mr Mendy in Chapel Street in Salford in April 2021. He denies the claims. Mr Mendy, 28, denies seven counts of rape against four women, one count of attempted rape and one count of sexual assault.

The offences are alleged to have taken place at his home between October 2018 and August last year, and relate to six women.

Mr Matturie, 41, from Eccles, Salford, who prosecutors claim was Mr Mendy’s ‘fixer,’ denies six counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault, allegations relating to seven women.

Jurors at Chester Crown Court were read transcripts of a series of interviews police conducted with Mr Matturie.

He was asked about an alleged encounter at his flat with Woman Nine.

He told the officer at the outset of the interview: “I didn’t do anything.”

Asked about the allegation, he said: “Believe me, I’m just shocked.

“It just shock me. This is not me.

“This is no me. I’m a good, good person.”

Mr Matturie told the officer he had been called by Woman Nine at about 1 or 2am.

He said she had texted him: “OK Saha, what are you doing?

“We are in a bar in town. We are doing nothing. We are bored.”

He said he replied ‘yeah of course’ and that she visited his flat with a friend.

He said they played the card game Uno but he insisted neither he nor

Woman Nine were drinking.

Mr Matturie told police Woman Nine’s friend left and that Woman Nine then asked him ‘can I stay?’

Asked what happened next, he said: “We go to bed. We go to sleep.”

He said ‘she start touching me just like a normal couple,’ adding that they were touching each other.

Mr Matturie said he ‘responded’ to her touching and that he ‘climbed on top of her.’

He told officers they had sex and the woman then went home.

Mr Matturie said in the afternoon Woman Nine ‘just started texting me calling me names.’

Mr Matturie was also questioned by detectives about allegations he raped another 17-yearold, Woman Ten, twice in August 2021 following a party at Mr Mendy’s house.

He told police that while he was at China White nightclub with City players, Woman Ten sent a message asking ‘Saha what are you doing?’ at about 3am.

Mr Matturie said he had posted an image on Snapchat which included City players Jack Grealish, Benjamin Mendy and Riyad Mahrez.

Woman Ten had texted that she was ‘bored’ and he invited her to come to

China White, said Mr Matturie.

He said there were ‘a lot of beautiful women’ at the club as well as ‘Premiership players.’

He said he had consensual sex with the woman in the cinema room of Mr Mendy’s house and then again at his apartment near Manchester city centre.

Mr Matturie said he thought Woman Ten was aged about 24.

When the officer asked him if it would surprise him to learn she was actually 17, he said: “Yes it would.”

“It’s not fair. I would not sleep with a 17-year-old,” he said.