Mendy was found not guilty of rape on all seven counts against him. Benjamin Mendy, a football player for Manchester City, was found not guilty of rape. Among the charges of six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault committed against four young women.
A new trial will be held on the remaining one count of rape and one count of attempted rape.
And on three accusations of rape against two minors, 41-year-old Louis Saha Matturie was found not guilty as well.
When it came to six further counts brought by five other women, the jury at Chester Crown Court deadlocked.
Accusations of rape were made against Mr. Mendy, 28, and his friend, Mr. Matturie. They were at both Manchester and the player’s hometown of Prestbury, Cheshire.
Mr. Mendy hid his face as the jury foreman kept saying “not guilty” to each of the six charges.
More On The “Mendy was found not guilty” News According To The Attorneys
“Prosecutors told the jury for six months. “Predator” Mr. Mendy made chasing women for sex a game.
The defense attorneys told the jury that the trial had “all the makings of a good drama.” Saying its focus was on the money, sex, and celebrities, but that there was a major “plot twist”: the defendants were innocent.
The men’s attorneys claimed the allegations were “riddled with contradictions and faults.”
Counsel for Mr. Matturie, Lisa Wilding KC, told the jury that it was “chillingly easy” to make false charges. He also suggested that the ladies involved were all connected through friendships, social media, or party attendance.
Eleanor Laws KC, who defended Mr. Mendy, said “regret” following “quick, animalistic intercourse” was not rape.
The defendants’ sexual orientations were not to be judged in a “moralistic” light.
On Wednesday, the panel’s seven men and four women reached a unanimous “not guilty” finding. One juror had been dismissed earlier for health concerns.
Judge Steven Everett instructed the jury that he would accept a verdict with a 10-1 majority, but they were not allowed to report their findings until they had deliberated on the remaining two counts.
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Three accusations of rape and three counts of sexual assault were tried against Mr. Matturie, but the jury could not reach a judgment on any of the charges.
On Friday, the trial’s final day, Judge Everett dismissed the jury.
Both men had been in court since August 10; 13 women had accused them of sexual misconduct.
In court, it was revealed that Mr. Mendy threw lockdown-breaking parties not only at his residence but also at an apartment he rented on Chapel Street, not far from Manchester’s city center.
This is “pure, utter, unadulterated, eternal hell.”
After being charged with rape in November 2020, he was arrested again in August 2021. After that, his club suspended him indefinitely.
In light of the jury’s inability to reach a conviction on two charges, the prosecution has requested a new trial, which has been set for 26 June.
Mr. Matturie’s retrial is scheduled for September of this year.
According to prosecutor Matthew Conway: “In this case, the prosecution has decided. We have decided to pursue these charges in two different trials and are requesting a temporary case management order from the court today.”
Manchester City released a statement reading, “Given there are open matters linked to this case, the club is not in a position to comment further at this time.”
The court heard that Mr. Mendy’s life in football was “finished” after the claims and trial and that he would “never escape” the accusations.
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