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The jury retires to consider its verdict in the Benjamin Mendy trial… with the Man City defender denying multiple sexual offenses against young women
- Benjamin Mendy and his co-defendant, Louis Saha Matturie, have been on trial since August.
- The two men have been charged with multiple sexual offenses against young women.
- Both men have denied the charges against them during their four-month trial.
- The jury has retired to consider their verdicts that could come this week
The jury in the trial of Manchester City defender Benjamin Mendy has retired to consider their verdicts.
Mendy, 28, and his co-defendant, Louis Saha Matturie, 41, have been on trial at Chester Crown Court since August 10, charged with multiple sexual offenses against young women. Both men deny all wrongdoing.
Judge Steven Everett, the Chester registrar, told the eight men and four women on the jury that if verdicts were not reached this week, if court did not sit on Friday or the following week, they would return to court on the 19th of december. to continue discussions.
“There is no time pressure,” he added. Don’t feel pressured.
Prosecutors claim Mendy was a sexual “predator” of young women, who were raped or sexually assaulted during post-clubbing “after parties” at his £4.7m home, The Spinney, near Prestbury in Cheshire. .
It is alleged that Matturie was a friend of the footballer and a “fixer”, who arranged for women to attend parties after nights spent drinking in the VIP rooms of Manchester nightclubs.
The jury from the Benjamin Mendy trial retired to consider their verdicts
Mendy and Louis Saha Matturie (above) are charged with multiple sexual offenses against women
Thirteen women had accused the defendants of sexual offences.
Midway through the trial, the judge ordered the jury to find the defendants not guilty on all charges related to one of the women, after a “sex tape” surfaced of her having “voluntary” sex with Matturie in a moment in which he claimed that he had had sex. he raped her
Mendy told the jury that she now regretted her partying lifestyle, but denied forcing a woman to have sex.
Matturie did not enter the witness stand, but he also denies any wrongdoing.
Mendy has denied ever forcing a woman to have sex with him.
Both defendants say that any sex with women was consensual.
Mendy denies seven counts of rape, one count of attempted rape and one count of sexual assault against six young women.
Matturie, from Eccles, Salford, denies six counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault relating to seven young women.
The trial continues.