Jurors in Manchester City's Benjamin Mendy rape trial 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.

The footballer, 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 10 August 2021.

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

The direction from Judge Steven Everett 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 2021.

The jury were sent home at 4:10pm on Wednesday, 11 January, and will return to court at 10am on Thursday, 12 January, to continue to consider their verdicts.