Pep Guardiola and Manchester City react to Benjamin Mendy verdict
Manchester City and Pep Guardiola have reacted to the court verdict on Benjamin Mendy.
City's statement at the conclusion of Mendy's trial, shortly before Guardiola's press conference, stated:
"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.
The club, though, refused to comment further on the case.
"Given there are open matters related to this case, the Club is not in a position to comment further at this time."
BREAKING: Manchester City footballer Benjamin Mendy has been found not guilty of six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, while jurors could not reach verdicts on one count of rape and one of attempted rape, following a six-month trial at Chester Crown Court. https://t.co/95zUhy5A3N
When Guardiola was asked about the latest developments at his press conference, he simply declared:
"Please take Manchester City's statement like my words."
Mendy has been found not guilty of six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault against four young women.
The jury failed to reach verdicts on one count of rape, and one of attempted rape, and a retrial will take place.
Judge Steven Everett discharged a jury made up of seven men and four women after 14 days of deliberations at Chester Crown Court.
Benjamin Mendy's current situation with Manchester City
Mendy has been suspended by Manchester City without pay since first being charged, in September 2021. The French defender is facing a retrial on June 26.
Mendy, 28, and his friend Matturie, had been accused of raping women at the player's home in Prestbury, Cheshire, and at a Manchester flat. The footballer, though, has denied all charges against him.
Benjamin Mendy has been cleared from seven of nine counts after a five-month trial ❌
#Mendy #ManCity #PL https://t.co/RJd4hVxvlf
Four weeks into the trial, Mendy and Matturie were found not guilty of an additional count of rape against a 19-year-old woman. This was after video evidence was produced in court that showed consensual intercourse taking place.
During a six-month trial, prosecutors told the jury that Mendy was a "predator" who turned the pursuit of women for sex into a game.
The footballer was first arrested in November 2020 and was suspended by his club in August 2021, after he was charged with rape.
He covered his face with both hands and was gently rocking back and forth as the jury foreman delivered the verdicts in a hushed courtroom, according to Britain's Press Association.