Manchester City footballer Benjamin Mendy has been ruled not guilty on six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault against five women.
The not-guilty verdict was unanimous on those charges but the jury failed to reach a verdict on a seventh count of rape and another of attempted rape
Louis Saha Matturie was co-accused alongside Mendy and like the French left-back, he was found not guilty on Friday on some but not all charges. He was acquitted on three rape charges but the jury was deadlocked on six more cases of rape and sexual assault.
The trial, which began last August, was taking place at the Chester Crown Court, with the Crown Prosecution Service stating they will pursue Mendy’s retrial for two charges that the jury could not agree on.
The 28-year-old was accused of raping three different women in one night at a party hosted at his home in Manchester, it was revealed by The Times last September.
Mendy was also accused of paying Matturie to go out and find women for him. Mendy then paid for his flat in exchange.
Mendy was suspended by Manchester City on 27 August following news of his charges, but he was never dropped entirely.
Manchester City are now expected to respond to the verdict with a statement on Mendy’s future with the Premier League champions.
Mendy was a part of the World Cup-winning France side in Russia back in 2018.
Compiled by Dylan Bettencourt
Pictured above: Benjamin Mendy
Image source: Evening Standard
