Man City star Benjamin Mendy arrives for third day of rape trial

Man City footballer Benjamin Mendy tried to rape a young woman at his mansion after exposing his penis to her, jurors heard on the third day of his rape trial. 

The French international, 28, pulled the 29-year-old woman onto a bed and tried to hold her on his lap, Chester Crown Court was told today. 

The court heard that on January 13, 2022, the woman attended the front desk at Walworth Police Station in London to report a sexual assault.

She was wearing a face mask and had her hood up and was reluctant to give any personal details because she was, ‘worried about media interest’.

Officers managed to persuade her to come back into the police station and she agreed to give them her telephone number and told them about the alleged attempted rape, naming Mendy as the person responsible.  

Manchester City footballer Benjamin Mendy arrives at Chester Crown Court this morning followed by his co-defendant, Louis Saha Matturie

Mendy is on trial at Chester Crown Court accused of eight counts of rape, one count of attempted rape, and one count of sexual assault 

Timothy Cray QC, prosecuting, said the woman told officers: ‘He pulled his boxers down to his thighs to expose his penis. He pulled her down to the bed and started to sit her down and hold her on his lap.’

She agreed to meet detectives from Cheshire Police to be interviewed on video.

At this point the video recording, about to be shown to the jury today, would not play, so court was adjourned while the technical problem is being fixed.

It is the second time technical issues have delayed the trial – with yesterday’s hearing postponed because jurors could not hear the audio. 

Earlier today, Mr Cray read some agreed facts, not in contention between defence and prosecution, based on notes made by the GP of the 29-year-old complainant.

He said she had a telephone consultation with her GP in August 2021 and said she was feeling ‘low and anxious’ because something had been made public which she was finding difficult, but did not want to discuss the matter further.

The next day she had a face-to-face appointment with her doctor saying she had not had sexual intercourse since 2018 when she was sexually assaulted and that this was related to the current news story involving Mendy.

She requested a doctor’s note for time off work and was worried the matter would be discussed in her place of work.

Saha Matturie, of Eccles, Salford, denies eight counts of rape and four counts of sexual assault relating to eight young women

His alleged offences span from July 2012 to August last year. None of the women involved can be identified and reporting restrictions apply ahead of the trial

Her GP suggested she speak to police but the woman said she did not want to at that time.

Mendy is accused of eight counts of rape, one count of attempted rape and one count of sexual assault, relating to seven young women. 

His co-defendant Louis Saha Matturie, 41, denies eight counts of rape and four counts of sexual assault relating to eight young women. 

None of the women involved can be identified and reporting restrictions apply ahead of the trial.

Both men deny all charges.