Jury sworn in as Manchester City's Benjamin Mendy faces re-trial accused of rape and attempted rape

A jury has been sworn in as Manchester City footballer Benjamin Mendy's re-trial is set to get underway. Mr Mendy, 28, is accused of raping one woman and attempting to rape another.

He denies both charges. The alleged attempted rape of 'Woman One' is said to have happened in October 2018, while the alleged rape of 'Woman Two' is said to have happened in October 2020. Both women cannot be named for legal reasons.

A jury of six men and six women were sworn in at Chester Crown Court on Wednesday afternoon. The jury of 12 was whittled down from an original jury selection panel of 43.

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Before being selected, potential jurors were asked to fill out a questionnaire to determine whether they were able to serve on the jury. During the selection process, trial judge Steven Everett, the Honorary Recorder of Chester, told them: "I anticipate that many, if not all of you know Mr Mendy already had one trial. This is a re-trial of two outstanding charges. He was acquitted of all the other charges, so you know that right from the start."

The jury panel was told that the trial could last for up to three weeks. Further questions posed included whether potential jurors had any hospital appointments, booked holidays or health conditions that could affect their ability to sit as a juror.

They were asked if they knew the two complainants in the case, and a list of witnesses which could be called was also read. Potential jury members were also asked whether they or any family members had any connections to Manchester City, Manchester United or the French national team.

They were also asked whether they had any 'personal knowledge' of Mr Mendy. The