Benjamin Mendy: Footballer tried to 'debate' woman into sex, court told

Benjamin Mendy, 28, denies eight counts of rape, one count of attempted rape, and one count of sexual assault

Footballer Benjamin Mendy tried to "debate" a woman into having sex after getting her alone at a gathering at his mansion, a court has heard.

In a police interview played to Chester Crown Court, the woman alleged she was raped by the 28-year-old for about "20 seconds" in July 2021.

She said her protests "didn't faze" the Manchester City player and it was "like arguing with a brick wall".

Mr Mendy denies eight counts of rape, attempted rape, and sexual assault.

The woman alleged he took her into the cinema room of his home in Mottram St Andrew, Cheshire.

She said she had been invited to a gathering where people were drinking and playing games.

In the police interview she said that they had talked and began kissing before Mr Mendy pulled down his underwear.

She said: "I was just like, 'I don't want to do anything, I don't know you'.

"He said, 'It's small, don't worry' and all this.

"I was sat on a bean bag and he was standing in front of me holding himself. I felt like I had given him every excuse to get out of the situation.

"It didn't faze him, it's like nothing I said got through to him and it's like arguing with a brick wall."

The woman explained to the court that she did not know the other guests at the party well and did not feel she could just walk away.

She added: "When I sat on that bean bag and I ended up having to like give in. There was nothing more I could do.

"Within 20 seconds it was over."

The woman said she "felt dirty" and used most of a pack of baby wipes to try to clean herself after the incident, the jury heard.

She said she "didn't know how to process what had just happened" and "felt so by myself".

The woman told the trial she did not report the alleged rape to police until being contacted by officers after other allegations surfaced because "it was like one word against another" and she was "really scared".

She added: "These people have power whether you like it or not."

Louis Saha Matturie, 41, is on trial alongside Mr Mendy

CCTV footage from inside a club later on the day of the alleged rape was played to the jury, showing the woman dancing against Mr Mendy.

Another clip showed her putting her hand on his neck as they appeared to exchange words on the dance floor.

Eleanor Laws QC, representing Mr Mendy, questioned the woman over the footage and suggested she was "physically comfortable" with him despite the alleged attack.

She responded: "I would not say that I was physically comfortable in his company, I had just not processed everything that had happened.

"I was very drunk and I was just doing what everyone else was doing - I was acting like nothing had happened."

Jurors were told the woman went back to the footballer's home two days later after being invited by another man - though Mr Mendy was not there.

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Ms Laws QC said: "You would not want to go anywhere near there after what happened."

The woman replied: "Not on my own, no."

Mr Mendy denies eight counts of rape, one count of attempted rape, and one count of sexual assault against seven young women.

He is on trial with co-defendant Louis Saha Matturie, 41, who is alleged to have had the job of finding women for sex.

Mr Matturie, of Eccles, Salford, denies eight counts of rape and four counts of sexual assault relating to eight young women.

The trial continues.