London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Feb 17, 2026

Benjamin Mendy: Accusers were in WhatsApp group, court hears

Benjamin Mendy: Accusers were in WhatsApp group, court hears

A woman who has accused footballer Benjamin Mendy of rape was in a WhatsApp group with another alleged sex assault victim who wanted to sue Manchester City, a court has heard.

The woman says she was raped by Mr Mendy at his home in 2020, where she alleges he boasted about having had sex with 10,000 women.

She denied trying to "minimise" knowing another woman who alleged she was sexually assaulted by the footballer.

He is accused of eight counts of rape.

The 28-year-old French international is also accused of one of attempted rape and one of sexual assault.

Some women have said they had their phones taken away, while others described attacks in locked rooms at his mansion in Mottram St Andrew, Cheshire.

On Thursday the jury at Chester Crown Court heard how one woman said she was raped by Mr Mendy three times and was left bleeding from the attack in October 2020.

She added the "hardest thing that makes me upset is how many times I said no".

Another complainant, aged 24 at the time, alleges that on 2 January 2021, the footballer sexually assaulted her by grabbing her groin over her clothing at a party at his house.

Both Mr Mendy and Mr Matturie deny all the charges against them


Under cross-examination by Eleanor Laws QC, defending Mr Mendy, the first woman denied trying to "minimise" knowing the other complainant.

The court heard how she said the two women had a mutual friend and told police in a statement: "I think I may have met her once but cannot be sure."

The woman told the jury she reported her rape allegation to police in November 2020 and found out about the groping allegation by the other woman in February 2021.

She said she had to take two months off work due to the trauma of reliving her own experience.

The other woman then went to police shortly after the two women were in contact in the February, the court heard.

Ms Laws said: "After she found out about each other's allegations she goes to police two days later.

"Has she ever discussed with you because of what happened, she wanted to sue Manchester City for what happened to her?"

The woman replied: "I don't remember."

The prosecution alleges Louis Saha Matturie was Mr Mendy's fixer who would "find young women"


The witness said she did not remember both of them being part of a WhatsApp group with the title "Sunday Shlagggs" but conceded they had both been with other girls on an overnight trip to Wales.

She denied trying to "exaggerate and lie" about what had happened between her and Mr Mendy.

Ms Laws continued: "Had you persuaded yourself that it was Mr Mendy that had done something wrong that night and not something entirely consensual?"

The witness replied: "I'm absolutely certain I did not give consent."

Ms Laws added: "What happened in that room with Mr Mendy, in drink, is you did things you regretted and were embarrassed about the next day?"

"Absolutely not," the witness replied.

The French international was suspended by Manchester City after the allegations emerged


Mr Mendy, who denies all the charges against him, is on trial alongside co-defendant Louis Saha Matturie, 41.

Mr Matturie, of Eccles, Salford, has denied eight counts of rape and four of sexual assault.

Both men said if any sex had taken place with women or girls it was consensual.

Timothy Cray QC, prosecuting, asked the woman why she decided to go to the police and go through with a prosecution of Mendy.

She replied: "The main reason was I just did not want to be here any more.

"That's a really scary thought for me to have because I have got really good friends and a really good job, but I couldn't carry on not being myself.

"If someone just listened and it's out of me, then I can try to carry on. I didn't want to live a life where pretty much I didn't want to be here anymore.

"I didn't want to do that to my family or my sister."

The trial continues.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Markets Signal Opportunity as Starmer Confronts Intensifying Political Pressure
Trump Criticises Newsom’s UK Climate Pact, Defends Federal Authority Over Foreign Engagements
UK’s Top Prosecutor Says ‘No One Is Above the Law’ as Police Review Claims Against Ex-Prince Andrew
Businessman Adam Brooks weighs in on the reports that the US is set to help Hamit Coskun flee the UK, over free speech concerns
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi Releases 3.5 Million Pages of Jeffrey Epstein Case Files
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio Comment on European allies report blaming Russia for killing late Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny using toxin from poison dart frogs
Eighty-Year-Old Lottery Winner Sentenced to 16.5 Years for Drug Trafficking
UK Quran Burner May Receive Asylum in the US Amid Legal Challenges
Rubio Calls for Sweeping U.N. Reform, Saying It Has Failed to End Wars in Gaza and Ukraine
10,000 Condoms Distributed at Winter Olympics 2026 Athlete Village Depleted Within 72 Hours
Poland's President Advocates for Evaluating Independent Nuclear Weapons Development
Prince William Meets Saudi Crown Prince as Epstein-Andrew Fallout Casts Shadow
Starmer Calls for Renewed ‘Hard Power’ Investment at European Security Summit
UK Police Establish National Taskforce to Handle Domestic Epstein-Linked Allegations
UK Court Rules Ban on Palestine Action Unlawful in Major Free Speech Test
UK Faces Prospect of Net Migration Turning Negative as Economic Impact Looms
Mayor of Serdobsk in Russia’s Penza Region Resigns After Housing Certificates Granted to Migrant Family Trigger Public Outcry
Pentagon Reviews Anthropic Partnership After Claude AI Reportedly Used in Operation Targeting Nicolás Maduro
President Donald Trump and Hip-Hop’s Political Realignment: Pardons, Public Endorsements, and the Struggle Over Cultural Influence
China’s EV Makers Face Mandatory Return to Physical Buttons and Door Handles in Driver-Distraction Safety Overhaul
Goldman Sachs and DP World Executive Resignations: Elite-Reputation Risk and Corporate Governance Fallout From the Epstein Disclosures
‘Amelia’: The UK Government’s Anti-Extremism Game Villain Who Became a Protest Symbol
Peter Mandelson Asked to Testify Before US Congress Over Jeffrey Epstein Links
Walmart's Earnings and UK Economic Data Highlight Upcoming Financial Trends
UK Green Party Considering Proposal to Legalize Heroin for an Inclusive Society
SpaceX's New Vision: Lunar City Takes Precedence Over Mars Colonization
OpenAI and DeepCent Superintelligence Race: Artificial General Intelligence and AI Agents as a National Security Arms Race
Document Suggests Prince Andrew Shared UK Briefing on Afghan Investment Opportunities with Jeffrey Epstein
We will protect them from the digital Wild West.’ Another country will ban social media for under-16s
McDonald's Shortens Breakfast Hours in Australia Due to Egg Shortage
Heineken announces cut of 6,000 jobs due to declining beer demand
Beijing Brands UK Hong Kong Visa Expansion ‘Despicable and Reprehensible’ After Jimmy Lai Sentencing
Tesco Chief Warns UK Is ‘Sleepwalking’ Toward a Joblessness Crisis
Trump’s ‘Act of Great Stupidity’ Comment on UK Chagos Deal Reverberates Through Diplomacy and Strategy
New U.S. filings say Jeffrey Epstein repaid Les Wexner one hundred million dollars after theft allegation
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick acknowledges 2012 visit to Jeffrey Epstein’s private island as lawmakers scrutinise past ties
Helsing and Stark Defence loitering-munition drones and Germany’s race to industrialise battlefield autonomy
UK orders deletion of Courtsdesk court-data archive, reigniting the fight over who controls public justice records
UK Police Review Fresh Claims Involving Prince Andrew as Senior Royals Respond to Epstein Files
Keir Starmer’s Premiership Faces Unprecedented Strain as Epstein Fallout Deepens
Starmer Vows to Stay in Office as UK Government Faces Turmoil After Epstein Fallout
China and UK Signal Tentative Reset with Commitment to Steadier, Professionally Managed Relations
UK Confirms Imminent Increase in ETA Fee to £20 as Entry Rules Tighten
UK Signals Possible Seizure of Russia-Linked ‘Shadow Fleet’ Tanker in Escalation of Sanctions Enforcement
Epstein Scandal Piles Unprecedented Pressure on UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Leadership
UK’s ‘Most Romantic Village’ Celebrates Valentine’s Day and Explores the Festival’s Rich History
The Implications of Expanding Voting Rights to Non-EU Foreign Residents in France
Ghislaine Maxwell to Testify Before US Congress on February 9
Al.com Acquired by Crypto.com Founder for $70 Million
Apple iPhone Lockdown Mode blocks FBI data access in journalist device seizure
×