Manchester City defender Benjamin Mendy refused bail for third time ahead of rape trial
Mendy is accused of raping two women and sexually assaulting a third
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Manchester City footballer Benjamin Mendy has been refused bail for the third time ahead of his rape trial next year.
The French defender is accused of raping two women and sexually assaulting a third.
Mendy, 27, has been in custody for the last seven weeks since his arrest in August, and is on remand at HMP Altcourse in Liverpool.
He was not present for the 50-minute bail hearing at Chester Crown Court, where the press were excluded, before Judge Patrick Thompson.
Mendy was charged on 26 August over an alleged rape in October 2020, the sexual assault of a woman in early January this year, and an alleged rape in August.
The alleged attacks, on three different women including one under 18, are said to have happened at his home address on Withinlee Road in Prestbury, Cheshire.
One of the alleged rapes is said to have taken place at his house in August when he was on police bail for other sexual offences.
Mendy had made two previous unsuccessful bail applications.
Prosecuting lawyer Debbie Byrne had said in court that one of Mendy’s bail conditions was that he should not have house parties.
But, in August, police were called to his house where there was a party of up to 21 people. He was then arrested over another allegation of rape and for allegedly breaching his bail conditions, Ms Byrne added.
She had said that Mendy had shown an an unwillingness to comply with his bail conditions, and he should be remanded in custody to prevent him from carrying out further offences.
Mendy was suspended by Manchester City after being charged by police.
He joined the club in 2017 from Monaco for a reported £52 million, which was a world record transfer fee at the time.
Mendy’s co-accused, Louis Saha Matturie, 40, of Eccles, Greater Manchester, is charged with four counts of rape and is also in custody.
The charges relate to three complainants over the age of 16. The incidents are alleged to have taken place between April and August.
Mendy and Matturie are scheduled to go on trial on 24 January 2022.