Benjamin Mendy, a 28-year-old French footballer and Manchester City player, will return to Chester Crown Court in northwest England today to face retrial on two cases of sexual offenses against him.
The retrial comes after a previous jury failed to reach verdicts on two charges involving two different women.
Mendy now faces one charge of attempted rape against one woman and rape against another. In the previous trial, Mendy was cleared of six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault against four women.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) had immediately set the date of 26th June back in January itself for the retrial of two cases.
What Were the Original Accusations Against Benjamin Mendy?
Initially, Benjamin Mendy faced multiple serious charges including eight counts of rape, one count of attempted rape, and one count of sexual assault involving seven women.
He was co-accused with Louis Saha Matturie, a 41-year-old alleged “fixer,” who faced charges of six counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault. Louis is scheduled to face a separate retrial later this year in September on three counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault.
Following his arrest, Mendy was held in custody for 134 days, spending time at HMP Altcourse in Liverpool and later at HMP Manchester. However, he was released on bail in January 2022.
Under UK law, victims of sexual offenses are granted lifelong anonymity from the moment they make an allegation.
What Decisions Were Made in the Initial Trial?
The initial trial began in August and concluded in mid-January, with the jury starting their deliberations on December 5.
During the trial, some of the complainants provided live testimony in court, while others chose to have their cross-examinations pre-recorded at an earlier date.
Mendy, the defendant, strongly denied the allegations against him but admitted to drink-driving and hosting parties during the Covid-19 lockdown, despite the restrictions.
Mendy did not contest the fact that he had been fined £200,000 by Manchester City for organizing lockdown parties. It was also revealed that City stopped his salary, which was reportedly over £100,000 per week, in September 2021.
In her closing statement before the jury began their deliberations, Eleanor Laws KC, Mendy’s defense lawyer, stated that her client’s life would never be the same and that he would always be associated with these accusations. She also urged the jury to consider the case of Ched Evans.
One juror was excused due to illness on December 19. Finally, on January 12, after 37 days of deliberation, Judge Everett provided the majority instruction to the jury, and shortly before 11 am, the jury delivered 10 unanimous verdicts. 7 related to Mendy and 3 related to Saha.
As the court announced the not guilty verdicts, Mendy reacted by covering his face with both hands and swaying gently back and forth.
Jenny Wiltshire, one of Mendy’s legal representatives, expressed his joy, stating that the footballer was “delighted” with his acquittal on most of the charges brought against him.
Wiltshire further mentioned that Mendy was eager to “clear his name” concerning the remaining two charges, as it would allow him to embark on the process of rebuilding his life.
What’s the Road Ahead for Mendy?
The most important thing for Mendy would be to get acquitted from the two remaining cases. Once that happens, he may start rebuilding his life. However, the football career at the top level seems to be over for the French left-back.
Having joined Manchester City in 2017 from Monaco for a transfer fee of £52 million, the defender experienced frequent injury setbacks but still managed to secure three Premier League titles during his time at the club.
However, since August 15, 2021, he has been sidelined from playing, coinciding with the initial charges filed against him, which included four counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.
The defender’s international career for France saw him earn 10 caps, with his final appearance occurring in November 2019, following his victorious participation in the 2018 World Cup.
Recently, it was announced that Manchester City will not renew his contract which comes to an end on 30 June 2024.
Hence, if he is found innocent of all the charges, then he will have to start fresh somewhere else.
