Benjamin Mendy rape trial jury told judge will accept majority verdicts

Jurors in the rape trial of Manchester City footballer Benjamin Mendy have been told by the judge he will accept majority verdicts.

Mendy, 28, denies seven counts of rape, one of attempted rape and one of sexual assault relating to six women.

His co-accused, Louis Saha Matturie, 41, denies six rapes and three sexual assaults relating to seven women.

Both men have been on trial at Chester Crown Court since August 10 last year.

The jury, of seven men and four women, one juror being discharged earlier for medical reasons, first went out to consider verdicts on December 5 and Wednesday was the 12th day they had been out.

The direction from Judge Steven Everett, overseeing the trial, means he can accept a verdict upon which at least 10 of the jurors agree – rather than up to now only accepting unanimous verdicts with the agreement of all 11 jurors.

Mendy’s offences are alleged to have taken place at his mansion in Prestbury, Cheshire, between October 2018 and August last year.

The jury were sent home at 4.10pm on Wednesday and will return to court at 10am on Thursday to continue to consider their verdicts.