London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Oct 25, 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 Conservative Party Suspends Former Electoral Candidate Following Undercover Investigation
Actors and Writers Condemn British Anti Terror Legislation Targeting Activist Groups and Free Speech
Central Bank and Treasury Monitor Inflation Risks as International Monetary Fund Upgrades United Kingdom Growth Forecast
Storm Boelo Batters British Isles With Eighty Mile Per Hour Winds Causing Widespread Power Outages
British Intelligence Services and Technology Firms Partner to Counter Artificial Intelligence Enabled Cybersecurity Threats
UK Consumer Confidence Falls at Fastest Rate Since Brexit Vote as Cost of Living Intensifies
Chancellor John Healey Prepares Landmark Autumn Budget Focused on Devolution and Fiscal Rules
Northern Ireland Executive Ministers Reach Consensus on Shared Economic Development Priorities to Stimulate Regional Growth in Belfast
Department for Business and Trade Finalizes Conditional Support Package for Advanced Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities in Newport
Welsh Government Unveils Regional Industrial Development Strategy to Attract Green Energy Investment to South Wales Manufacturing Hubs
Foreign Secretary David Lammy Concludes Diplomatic Mission to European Capital Cities to Strengthen Post-Brexit Defense Cooperation
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Implements Stricter Regulatory Compliance Standards for Water Utilities Across England
Office for National Statistics Reports Moderate Wage Growth Stabilization and Resilient Employment Figures Across the United Kingdom
Scottish Government and Trade Union Representatives Reach Tentative Pay Agreement for Public Sector Transport Workers in Edinburgh
National Health Service England Announces Emergency Capital Funding Allocation to Reduce Winter Emergency Department Bottlenecks
Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee Signals Cautious Approach to Interest Rate Reductions Amid Persistent Inflation Pressures
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Treasury Officials Finalize Urgent Fiscal Adjustments Ahead of Upcoming National Budget
Tour de France Organizers Confirm Historic Grand Depart Featuring Edinburgh and Yorkshire Stages
National Cyber Security Centre Issues Urgent Alerts Following Global Security Vulnerability in Core Programming Software
Independent Energy Analysts Warn Great Britain Faces Highest Winter Power Tariffs in Europe
Major British Defense Contractors Commit to Delivering Forty Thousand New Apprenticeships and Training Placements
New Bradford Railway Station Infrastructure Project Approved to Transform Regional Transit Connectivity Across Northern England
Welsh Infrastructure Stakeholders Press Government for Accelerated Local Sourcing in Military and Uniform Manufacturing
Scottish Council Governance Crisis Triggers High-Court Legal Challenge Over Leadership Ouster Bid
High Street Bakery Chain Greggs Announces Major Factory Closures and Seven Hundred Job Cuts
Automotive Manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover Advances Advanced Defense Technology Partnership with European Allies
Treasury and Bank of England Officials Signal Persistent Concern Over Inflation-Driven Interest Rate Path
International Monetary Fund Upgrades United Kingdom Growth Forecast While Issuing Inflation Warnings
National Health Service Leaders Warn of Severe Capacity Pressures as Early Winter Respiratory Infections Surge
Government Issues Emergency Resilience Guidance Advising All British Citizens to Stockpile Essential Supplies
United Kingdom Private Sector Growth Beats Expectations in October Driven by Resilient Services and Manufacturing
Barclays to Cut Five Thousand Jobs in Major Artificial Intelligence Adoption and Cost-Cutting Overhaul
Piper Tomahawk Aircraft Crash Near Drymen in Stirling Claims Two Lives as Investigators Deploy
North Sea Transition Authority Approves Jackdaw Gas Field Production After Ministerial Authorization
Government Injects One Hundred and Forty Million Pounds to Expand Urgent Care Ahead of Winter Crisis
Department of Health Warns Further Pay Rises Will Derail National Health Service Waiting List Targets
Major Environmental Emergency Declared in South Wales Following Aerospace Kerosene Spill
Tank Barrel Production Returns to Britain as Defence Contractors Accelerate Domestic Rearmament
Government Approves Controversial Jackdaw Gasfield Development in the North Sea
National Health Service Maternity Safety Review Condemned Over Flawed Artificial Intelligence Integration
Dozens of United Kingdom Government Services Taken Offline Amid Critical Software Vulnerability
Barclays Announces Five Thousand Job Cuts Citing Artificial Intelligence Productivity Gains
Treasury Relaxes Post-Financial Crisis Accountability Rules for City of London Executives
United Kingdom Government Issues Unprecedented Guidance Urging Citizens to Stockpile Essential Supplies
United Kingdom Consumer Inflation Accelerates to Eleven-Month High Driven by Transport Costs
United Kingdom Public Sector Net Debt Breaches Three Trillion Pounds Ahead of Autumn Budget
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology Commits Fifty Million Pounds to Establish Regional Artificial Intelligence Innovation Clusters
Ofgem Directs Major Energy Suppliers to Expand Vulnerable Household Support Funds Ahead of Winter Heating Season
Home Office and National Police Chiefs Council Unveil New Intelligence-Led Strategy to Tackle Organised Immigration Crime Networks
First Minister John Swinney Secures Scottish Parliament Approval for Comprehensive Climate and Green Energy Infrastructure Strategy
×