Former Manchester City player Benjamin Mendy was found not guilty on a charge of rape and a separate charge of attempted rape.
The 28-year-old former French international walked free from Chester Crown Court in England on Friday evening following the acquittal in his second trial stemming from two charges left undecided from the same court proceeding that happened in January this year.
Mendy was found not guilty of six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault in January but jurors at the time failed to decide on two charges, resulting in the second trial.
Outside court, Mendy said, “Alhamdulillah,” meaning “praise be to God” in Arabic. His lawyer Jenny Wiltshire said her client was “delighted that both juries reached the correct verdict.”
“Benjamin Mendy would like to thank the members of the jury for focusing on the evidence in this trial, rather than on the rumour and innuendo that have followed this case from the outset,” Wiltshire told reporters.
She added, “In the three years since the police started investigating this matter, Mr. Mendy has tried to remain strong, but the process has inevitably had a serious impact on him. He now asks for privacy so he can begin rebuilding his life.”
Mendy, who plays as a left-back, was suspended by Manchester City in August 2021 when the original charges against him were announced. His contract with the club expired at the end of last season and such, was never renewed.
