The 28-year-old France international defender abused his wealth and fame to lure women back to his gated Cheshire home and rape them when they either said no or were too drunk to consent, a jury at Chester crown court heard yesterday.
The court heard he met many of the women in Manchester nightclubs, often with the help of his "fixer", Louis Saha Matturie, 41 - known as Saha who is on trial alongside him charged with multiple counts of rape and sexual assault.
The pair are accused of showing "callous indifference" to the 13 young women they allegedly attacked. The sexual conquest of young women became "a game", the court heard. Opening the case, the prosecutor, Timothy Cray, told the jury Mendy was a "reasonably famous" footballer at the time of the offences, having won the World Cup with the French national team.
"These days fame brings attention. Fame also brings money. And because of this, Mendy's wealth and status, others were prepared to help him to get what he wanted," said Cray.
This story is from the August 16, 2022 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the August 16, 2022 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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