Benjamin Mendy found not guilty of raping woman (19) after judge’s direction

Manchester City footballer Benjamin Mendy has been found not guilty of the rape of a 19-year-old woman on the direction of a judge.

His co-accused, Louis Saha Matturie (41) was also cleared of two counts of rape and one of sexual assault against the same woman after the prosecution offered no further evidence against the defendants on those four counts.

Matturie wiped tears from his eyes as he stood in the dock and the formal not guilty verdicts, as directed by the judge, were given by the foreman of the jury at Chester Crown Court.

Judge Stephen Everett warned jurors not to speculate as to why the prosecution had decided not to pursue guilty verdicts in relation to the charges concerned and to continue to “faithfully” try the defendants on the multiple charges they still face.

Earlier, jurors were told of a private video of the woman having “enthusiastic sex” with Matturie, when she claimed she had been raped.

The 20-minute mobile phone video was taken by Matturie on August 1st, 2021, the court heard, a week after both men had allegedly raped the same woman on the same night the previous weekend at the footballer’s mansion in Prestbury, Cheshire.

The woman had told the jury Matturie sexually assaulted her for a second time at a flat in Salford on August 1st, 2021, after clubbing at China White nightclub in Manchester.

Lisa Wilding KC, defending Matturie, suggested what happened between them was, “consensual, willing and enthusiastic” sex, not rape, Chester Crown Court heard.

The woman denied this, claiming the incident left her feeling “shamed and disgusted”.

Ms Wilding continued: “When you and he had sex … you and he filmed that sex. You know that you and he had a discussion beforehand, words to the effect, ‘Let’s make