Manchester City’s Benjamin Mendy was acquitted – but could face a retrial (Picture: Reuters)
Manchester City player Benjamin Mendy has been found not guilty of six counts of rape after jurors failed to reach a majority verdict.
Following a six-month trial at Chester Crown Court, jurors couldn’t reach verdicts on one country of rape and one of attempted rape today.
Mendy, 28, was facing eight counts of rape, one count of attempted rape and one count of sexual assault against seven complainants, including young women and teens.
Sitting in the dock, the Premier League player had his face in his hands while gently rocking back and forth when the jury foreman delivered the verdicts.
The Crown Prosecution Service said it will seek a retrial over the two rape charges the jury couldn’t decide on.
Prosecutor Matthew Conway said: ‘The prosecution has made a decision. We have made a decision today, which is to proceed on these counts in two separate trials and we seek today a provisional case management.’
He has denied multiple sex offences against a string of young women (Picture: PA)
One of the rape charges against the £52 million star was dropped during court proceedings.
Co-accused Louis Saha Matturie, Mendy’s alleged ‘fixer’, was found not guilty of three counts of rape against two women.
Manchester City said in a club statement: ‘Manchester City FC notes the verdict from Chester Crown Court today, where a jury has found Benjamin Mendy not guilty of seven charges. The jury is hung on two charges and the trial is now over.
‘Given there are open matters related to this case, the Club is not in a position to comment further at this time.’
Mendy is expected to face a retrial in June over an allegation of rape related to an incident in his mansion on October 2020 and an allegation of attempted rape at the same property two years prior.
Prosecutors described Mendy as a ‘danger to women’ who used his immense wealth and status as a professional footballer to lure victims into ‘toxic’ situations.
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Jurors failed to reach a majority verdict.
