London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jul 11, 2025

Benjamin Mendy: Jurors told to question credibility of accusers

Benjamin Mendy: Jurors told to question credibility of accusers

Jurors in the rape trial of Manchester City footballer Benjamin Mendy have been told to question the credibility of the accusers.

Lisa Wilding KC, in her closing defence speech on behalf of Mr Mendy's co-accused Louis Saha Matturie, 41, asked jurors to consider if a complainant's evidence was "reliable".

Both men stand accused of raping women at the player's home in Cheshire and at a Manchester flat.

The pair both deny all charges.

Ms Wilding highlighted evidence of one 19-year-old complainant who told jurors both men had raped her.

During the 16-week trial, mobile phone video emerged of her having "enthusiastic" sex with Mr Matturie on an occasion she claimed she was being raped.

Jurors at Chester Crown Court were directed to find both men not guilty of those charges against her.

Ms Wilding said: "She sat in this courtroom and looked you in the eye and gave what would have, perhaps, been a compelling and convincing account of being raped multiple times by these two men.

"Like so many of the witnesses in this case, she is caught up in a tangled web of connections and contacts and knowledge.

"Why is that important?

"Because of collusion. You have to consider in respect of each of the women who came to this courtroom to give evidence, is their evidence reliable? Is their evidence solid?

"This case rests on the credibility of witnesses."

"People lie," Ms Wilding added.


Mr Mendy denies seven counts of rape, one count of attempted rape and one count of sexual assault against six women

Two other complainants, who also knew each other, then made "remarkably similar" allegations that Mr Matturie had raped them both while sleeping, Ms Wilding said.

Ms Wilding cited the account of another woman, aged, 23, who claimed Mr Matturie raped her at 05:30 in Mr Mendy's Mercedes while on a trip to a local garage to buy more alcohol for a party at the footballer's house.

She stayed at Mr Mendy's house afterwards and had sex with three other men, and as she stepped out of the gates at Mr Mendy's mansion at 10:03, sent a text to a friend saying: "Hahaha I have slept with Jack Grealish", the jury heard.

Such behaviour was "inconsistent" with an allegation of rape, Ms Wilding said.

Her case was "inextricably linked" to that of a 17-year-old who alleges she was raped twice by both Mr Mendy and Mr Matturie the same night.

Ms Wilding said the allegation against Mr Matturie, that he raped her in a cinema room at Mr Mendy's house while others were present, then went to his flat in Manchester where he raped her a second time, made "absolutely no sense".

Prosecutors claim Mr Mendy lured young women into "toxic and dangerous" situations where they were raped and sexually assaulted at a flat he rented in Manchester city centre, and his home in the Cheshire countryside, used for "after-parties".

Mr Matturie is alleged to have been the "fixer" to get girls back to the parties after nights spent drinking in VIP lounges at Manchester nightclubs.

Both defendants said any sex with women was consensual.

Mr Mendy denies seven counts of rape, one count of attempted rape and one count of sexual assault against six women.

Mr Matturie, of Eccles, Salford, denies six counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault relating to seven women.

The trial was adjourned until Tuesday morning.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Grok Chatbot Faces International Backlash for Antisemitic Content
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
×