The trial of Manchester City star Benjamin Mendy is closing in on a conclusion as the jury for the case has retired to consider their verdicts.
The trial has been ongoing since August 10 at Chester Crown Court after Mendy was originally arrested in the latter half of 2021, and the footballer has not played for Manchester City since having been suspended by the Premier League club.
In a statement in August, the Manchester club said via the Guardian: “Manchester City can confirm that following his being charged by police today, Benjamin Mendy has been suspended pending an investigation. The matter is subject to a legal process and the club is, therefore, unable to make further comment until that process is complete.”
According to the Independent, Mendy and his co-accused, Louis Saha Matturie, have been accused of multiple sex offences against young women, of which both men deny all offences.
Prosecutors claim Mendy was a sexual “predator” of young women, who were raped or sexually assaulted during post-nightclubbing “after parties” at his £4.7m home, states the Independent; whilst Matturie is alleged to have been the footballer’s friend and “fixer”, who helped bring him the women.
Partway through the trial, the judge ordered the jury to find the defendants not guilty on all charges relating to one of the women, after a “sex video” emerged of her having “willing” sex with Matturie at a time she claimed he had raped her.
The rest of the counts will have a verdict soon as the Man City footballer faces serious jail time if he is found guilty.
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