Court clear ex-Man City footballer Benjamin Mendy of rape charges

Reuters
Di French international bin dey under contract to Manchester City until 1 July

One jury don clear former Manchester City footballer, Benjamin Mendy of di accuse say e rape one woman and make attempt to rape anoda one.

Dem accuse di 28-year-old say e attack one 24-year-old woman for im £4m mansion for Mottram St Andrew, Cheshire for October 2020.

Dem also accuse Mendy of di attempted rape of anoda woman wey be 29 years. Di woman bin claim say e molest her for im house two years before di first woman own.

E dey come afta one court clear am of six rape charges for one trial wey bin hold for January.

Di France international begin cry as di jury foreman begin read out di not guilty verdicts, afta a three-week trial for Chester Crown Court.

Di jury of six men and six women bin analyse di mata for about three hours and 15 minutes before dem reach dia conclusion.

Judge Steven Everett say: “Oga Mendy fit dey discharged from di dock.”

Di footballer, wey im contract wit Manchester City bin expire earlier dis month, bin dey cleared for di earlier trial of six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, wey relate to four young women or teenagers.

During di trial oga Mendy bin tok how e sleep wit more dan 10,000 women.

‘Rebuild life’

Benjamin Aina KC, wey dey prosecute am, claim say e bin enjoy parties for im house and on two occasions e “take advantage” of female guests, as im wealth and celebrity status don turn am to man wey no dey take “no” for answer.

Di first complainant, woman A, na one 29-year-old student, she first meet oga Mendy for one nightclub for Barcelona for late 2017 and she become intimate wit one of im friends, di trial hear.

Dem keep in touch and one year later she make arrangement to visit Mendy friend for di footballer house, wia dem stay afta all of dem don comot wit oda girls for night out.

Di woman tell di jury say di next morning as she dey take her bath for inside bathroom, oga Mendy bin show uninvited, e wear only im boxer shorts, and e dey very obvious say “konji don hook am”.

She allege say Mr Mendy bin grab her and try to rape her on top bed, despite she dey tell am repeatedly to stop.

Oga Mendy tell di jury say di two of dem bin dey “flirt” during di night out and di next morning im bin go her room and dem begin hug on top bed.

E say she tell am say she no go do kerewa wit am him because she dey wit im friend.

Mendy say she vex wen e tell her say im don already ask im friend wey tell am say e dey “OK”.

E deny say im no try to rape her.

Anoda complainant, woman B, tell di trial say she bin dey out wit friends for one bar for Alderley Edge, Cheshire, near Mendy house, wen pesin invite dem to di footballer house for 2019.

Di 24-year-old allege say oga Mendy bin take her phone from her, wey contain “intimate” photos, den lead her go im locked bedroom, as she dey ask for her phone back.

She tell di jury say Mendy bin tell her “I just look how you be” and e tell her to off her clothes, wey she do.