French footballer Benjamin Mendy will return to a UK courtroom Monday for the beginning of his retrial for 2 alleged sexual offences, 5 months after a jury cleared him of a number of different counts. Manchester Metropolis participant Mendy, 28, might be again within the dock at Chester Crown Court docket in northwest England to face one depend of rape and one in every of tried rape. Jurors in his final trial, which resulted in January, failed to achieve verdicts on the 2 fees involving two completely different ladies. The panel of seven males and 4 ladies had cleared the defender of six different counts of rape and one in every of sexual assault in opposition to 4 ladies following a six-month trial.
The decide in January had instantly set a brand new trial date of Monday for the 2 counts on which the jury didn’t return a verdict.
Mendy, whose contract with Manchester Metropolis expires on the finish of this month and is reportedly not set to be renewed, has denied all the fees filed in opposition to him.
Because the not responsible verdicts had been learn out in court docket in January, Mendy lined his face with each arms, gently rocking forwards and backwards.
Jenny Wiltshire, one in every of his legal professionals, mentioned on the time that the footballer was “delighted” that he had been acquitted of a lot of the fees he confronted.
She added on the time that he regarded ahead to “clearing his title in relation to the opposite two fees so he can begin rebuilding his life”.
‘Predator’ accusations
Mendy was accused alongside Louis Saha Matturie, 41, an alleged “fixer”, who was discovered not responsible by the jury of three counts of rape relating to 2 youngsters.
Jurors additionally failed to achieve verdicts on three counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault in opposition to Matturie by 5 different ladies.
He faces a separate retrial later this 12 months.
The prosecution had alleged that Mendy was a sexual “predator” who raped or sexually assaulted younger ladies procured by Matturie at events at his luxurious residence south of Manchester.
Mendy denied ever forcing any lady into intercourse and each mentioned any sexual exercise they’d with ladies was consensual.
Mendy joined Manchester Metropolis from French membership Monaco in 2017. He has performed 75 occasions for Metropolis, however his enjoying time was restricted by accidents and a lack of kind.
He has not performed since August 15 2021 — days earlier than he was hit with an preliminary cost of 4 counts of rape and one depend of sexual assault.
The final of his 10 caps for France got here in November 2019, after the defender gained the World Cup in 2018.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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