Manchester City’s Benjamin Mendy found not guilty of seven out of the nine charges
Manchester City player Benjamin Mendy has been found not guilty of seven out of the nine charges on him on Friday.
After the trial lasting for almost six months Mendy has been cleared of six counts of rape and one sexual assault. However, the jury of Chester Crown Court after 13 days of long and careful consideration could not reach a verdict on the two other charges involving a woman aged 29 October 2018 and another woman aged 24 in 2020.
BREAKING: Footballer Benjamin Mendy has been found not guilty of six counts of rape and one charge of sexual assault against five women.
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The jury has a week to decide whether to pursue or go for a retrial on the remaining two charges.
Manchester City suspended Mendy when he was arrested in August 2021 and stopped paying him for the club in September 2021. however when manager Pep Guardiola was asked about Mendy in the court in November last year according to Guardian he said Mendy is a “really good boy”.
He also mentioned “I control my players when we are together in training sessions. In their private life, I don’t know what they do. I don’t follow the players on social media so I don’t know what they are doing outside my control in training sessions and in games … I’m not his father,” Guardiola further stated before the jurors.
When asked to describe Mendy as a character, Pep said, “He’s a really good boy, I would say so generous. I think he is happy and I remember when we were together and everybody asks for some favour and he was able to do it. He’s a very generous boy. I think he very quickly adapted to the team and I would say he was very happy he could help the other ones.”