Benjamin Mendy tells retrial he 'would never force' women to have sex
Benjamin Mendy has told his retrial that he "would never force" a woman to have sex, with the footballer saying that two incidents with women who accuse him of abuse were consensual encounters.
The 28-year-old, who was released by Manchester City at the end of his contract on June 30, is accused of the attempted rape of one woman in October 2018 and raping another woman at his home in Cheshire in October 2020. Mendy denies both offences.
A jury of six women and six men have been told by Judge Stephen Everett at Chester Crown Court that this is a retrial.
The judge told the jury that the footballer was found not guilty of sexual offences alleged by other women during the initial trial, which finished in January, but the first jury could not agree verdicts on these two allegations.
Mendy, wearing a blue suit, took to the witness box on Monday morning and was asked about a woman whom he first met while in a Barcelona night club in late 2017.
Mendy found not guilty on seven counts but faces retrial over two rape claims
The jury was previously told that the woman became intimate with one of Mendy’s friends. The woman and Mendy’s friend kept in touch and a year later she arranged to visit the friend at Mendy’s house in October 2018.
Mendy pictured on the opening week of his retrial at Chester Crown Court.During the night, while clubbing, Mendy told the woman that he would “kidnap” her from his friend but he told the jury it was just a “joke” and “banter” as they had been “flirting” with each other.
The next morning, Mendy said he went to an en suite bedroom in his house where she was showering and the two began hugging on the bed. The woman alleges Mendy appeared in the room “aroused” and tried to rape her on the bed before she struggled free.
Mendy told the jury: “I asked her if we [are] OK to have sex. She told me, ‘No’ because of my friend. I was like, ‘It’s fine, my friend says it’s OK, so if you want, he’s OK with that.’ It’s when she started to be like that – upset, sad. I just left the room.”
Two years later, the second woman was out with friends at a bar in Alderley Edge, near Mendy’s home, when they were invited back to the footballer’s house. She alleges Mendy took her phone from her, which contained “intimate” photos, then led her to his locked bedroom as she asked for her phone back.
Last week the woman told the jury Mendy threw her phone on his bed and when she went to retrieve it he got behind her and raped her despite her telling him she did not want to have sex.
Mendy told the jury the two had a consensual sexual encounter and later swapped details on Snapchat.
Mendy was released by Man City on June 30. (Getty Images)Defence barrister Eleanor Laws KC asked Mendy: “Did you hold her down or force her on to the bed or penetrate her?”
He replied: “No.”
Under cross-examination, Benjamin Aina KC, prosecuting, told Mendy: “You were not used to women saying no?"
Man City release statement as Benjamin Mendy faces retrial over two rape claims
Mendy said: “Of course I was.”
Mr Aina said: “You wanted women who came to your house to party, get drunk and have sex?”
Mendy said: “If they want.” He added: “I will never force to have sex with a woman.”
The trial continues.
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