Benjamin Mendy, a football player for Manchester City, was cleared of six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.
After a six-month trial at Chester Crown Court, jurors were unable to reach convictions on one count of attempted rape and one case of rape.
On those counts, the prosecution requested a new trial, which was set for June 26.
Three counts of rape against Louis Saha Matturie, 41, were also dismissed from the case.
The player’s home in Prestbury, Cheshire, and a Manchester apartment are where Mr. Mendy and his pal Mr. Matturie are alleged to have raped women.
Authorities informed the jurors that Mr. Mendy was a “predator” who made it a game to pursue ladies for sex.
However, defense attorneys also told the jury that while the case involved money, sex, and celebrity and had “all the makings of a fantastic drama,” there was a crucial “plot twist” in that the defendants were actually innocent.
As the jury foreman repeatedly said “not guilty” to the six counts, which pertained to four young women or teenagers, Mr. Mendy covered his face with both hands.
The seven men and four women on the panel, one of whom had already been excused for medical reasons, delivered their unanimous verdicts on Wednesday.
Jurors were granted a majority instruction by Judge Steven Everett, who stated that he would accept a result of 10-1 as long as they had finished deliberating the other two counts.
However, after 14 days of deliberation, the jury was unable to reach a decision regarding Mr. Mendy’s claimed attempts to rape a lady, age 29, in 2018 and a second woman, age 24, in October 2020.
On Friday, Judge Everett released the jury, bringing an end to the trial.
Since August 10th, both men had been on trial for several sex offenses alleged by 13 different women.
Both Mr. Mendy’s residence and a flat he rented on Chapel Street close to Manchester City center hosted lockdown-busting events, the court heard.
He was initially detained in November 2020, and after being charged with rape, his club suspended him in August 2021.
Benjamin Mendy Vindicated
Prosecutor Matthew Conway said: “The prosecution has made a decision. We have made a decision today, which is to proceed on these counts in two separate trials and we seek today a provisional case management.”
While Manchester City said: “Given there are open matters related to this case, the club is not in a position to comment further at this time.”
According to testimony given in court, Mr. Mendy’s life as a football player was “over” as a result of the claims and trial, and he would “never escape” them.
What happened To Mendy?
When Benjamin Mendy was accused of sexual offenses in August 2021, Manchester City suspended him. At his trial in August 2022, Mendy pleaded not guilty to the allegations of eight rapes, one attempted rape, and a sexual assault.
After the prosecution withdrew one rape accusation, a jury found Mendy not guilty of six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault in January 2023.
On one count of attempted rape and one more count of rape, he would go on trial again.
Mendy was found not guilty of six charges of rape and one count of sexual assault on January 13, 2023, and Matturie was found not guilty of six counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault.
On June 26, 2023, Mendy will stand trial again on another count of rape and one count of attempted rape after the same jury was unable to decide in the initial trial.
