Benjamin Mendy found not guilty of six counts of rape and one of sexual assault

Manchester City defender Benjamin Mendy has been cleared of six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.

Jurors however failed to reach verdicts on one count of rape and one count of attempted rape after a six month trial.

Mendy, 28, who denies all charges against him, will face re-trial on the two outstanding counts, scheduled to begin on June 26, as per several reports.

The re-trial is expected to last for two to three weeks, as per the Manchester Evening News, who add that Mendy, of Mottram St. Andrew, Cheshire, is also due to attend court for a pre-trial review on January 27.

The Mirror report that Judge Steven Everett discharged jurors after they failed to reach majority verdicts in the remaining cases following 14 days of deliberations.

After the jury was discharged, Matthew Conway, prosecuting, said that they would be seeking a re-trial on the two counts the jury could not reach verdicts on.

Mr Conway said, as quoted by The Mirror: “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.”

Noting the verdict from Chester Crown Court on Friday, Manchester City issued a statement that read: “Manchester City FC notes the verdict from Chester Crown Court today, where a jury has found Benjamin Mendy not guilty of seven charges.

“The jury is hung on two charges and the trial is now over. Given there are open matters related to this case, the Club is not in a position to comment further at this time.”

Mendy’s co-accused Louis Saha Matturie, 41, of Eccles, Salford, was found not guilty of three counts of rape. Jurors failed to reach verdicts on three further counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault, as per The Athletic.