Man City footballer Benjamin Mendy appears in court facing two further rape charges

17 November 2021, 16:15 | Updated: 17 November 2021, 20:39

Manchester City footballer Benjamin Mendy has appeared in court after being charged with two more counts of rape.

The 27-year-old French international now faces six allegations of rape and one count of sexual assault after initially being charged in August.

The defender, who has remained in custody since then because his bail applications have been denied, appeared through video-link at Manchester Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.

In the five minute hearing, Mendy, wearing a cream-coloured sweatshirt, spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth.

The two additional charges of rape are alleged to have taken place in Macclesfield during July and August this year.

He was initially charged on August 26 and already faces three counts of rape alleged to have happened in October 2020, one count of raping a woman in August this year and the sexual assault of a woman in January 2021.

Those offences relate to four women aged over 16, and are alleged to have happened at his home in Prestbury, Cheshire.

He appeared with co-accused Louis Saha Matturie, 40, who was charged with two additional counts of rape and one of sexual assault.

Matturie, of Eccles, Greater Manchester, is accused of touching a woman in Sheffield in 2016, raping a woman in March this year and another count of rape in Macclesfield in July.

In total, he now faces six counts of rape in total and one of sexual assault.

District Judge Margaret McCormack told the defendants: "The charges that you face will be sent to Chester Crown Court and you will appear there tomorrow morning and that's to tie in with existing matters."

Both men are set to go on trial in January next year.

Mendy has played for Manchester City since 2017, having joined for a reported £52 million from Monaco.

He has been suspended by the club pending an investigation.