Mendy walks free after sex attack case but faces retrial
Jury clears Manchester City footballer on eight counts but fails to reach verdict on two charges
BENJAMIN MENDY, the Manchester City footballer, was yesterday acquitted of a string of sex attacks at his mansion, but will face a retrial on two outstanding charges.
A jury at Chester Crown Court was discharged following a five-month trial, having failed to reach verdicts on one charge of rape and one charge of attempted rape.
The £52 million star had been charged with eight counts of rape, one count of attempted rape and one count of sexual assault against seven complainants, between October 2018 and August 2021.
One of the rape charges was dropped during the course of proceedings and a jury cleared him of all but two charges earlier this week, it can now be reported.
Mr Mendy, who won the World Cup with France in 2018, held his hands to his face and rocked in his seat in the glass-panelled dock as the verdicts were announced.
He is expected to face a retrial in the summer over an allegation of rape, relating to an incident at his home in October 2020, and an allegation of attempted rape, relating to an incident at the same address in October 2018.
Following the hearing, Jenny Wiltshire, Mr Mendy’s solicitor, said the Premier League footballer was “delighted” with the acquittals and “looks forward to clearing his name” on the remaining charges.
Prosecutors had alleged the 28-yearold defender was “a danger to women” who had used his status and wealth to lure victims into “toxic and dangerous situations” at his £4.7 million property in rural Cheshire.
The prosecution case, however, repeatedly hit the buffers over three months of evidence, as it emerged his accusers had misled police and provided accounts that were riddled with inconsistencies.
The jury reached their verdicts on the acquittals following 12 days of deliberation.
A retrial has been scheduled to begin on June 26 and is expected to last between two and three weeks.
Det Ch Insp Kate Tomlinson, of Cheshire Police, said: “There will now be retrials for the remaining matters later this year and we continue to support the witnesses in this case, and work with our colleagues at the Crown Prosecution Service.
“We are committed to investigating all allegations of rape and sexual assault – no matter how long ago they took place.”
Louis Saha Matturie, Mr Mendy’s coaccused and alleged “fixer”, was found not guilty by the jury of three counts of rape relating to two teenagers.
Jurors also failed to reach verdicts on three counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault against Mr Matturie by five other women.