Benjamin Mendy: footballer’s rape accuser denies sexual contact with his team-mate Jack Grealish, trial hears

A woman who claims she was raped by Manchester City footballer Benjamin Mendy told police she had no sexual contact with his team-mate Jack Grealish, a court heard.

England international Grealish, 27, was among partygoers at Mendy’s mansion in Prestbury, Cheshire, in August last year when a teenage complainant says she was attacked by Mendy, 28, and co-accused Louis Saha Matturie, 41.

Mendy and Matturie are on trial at Chester Crown Court where they deny charges of rape and sexual assault against a string of young women.

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

Matturie, of Eccles, Salford, denies six counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault relating to seven young women.

Both men say, if any sex did take place it was consensual.

What did the complainant say in court?

Last week the court heard the teen said to police that a woman, who also alleges Matturie raped her, told her on the night she had sex with Grealish.

On Monday, in further police interviews she said Matturie also mentioned to her the woman had “been together” with the former Aston Villa winger.

Three or four of Grealish’s friends from Birmingham came to the party after she earlier arrived in a taxi which followed a Range Rover in which Grealish was a passenger, she said.

The complainant said his friends were “quite pleasant” and “quite normal”, and there was “nothing suggestive or weird” in their conversations.

Grealish went on to compliment her “beautiful eyes” as she entered the swimming pool at the mansion and he walked out.

She said she replied: “Thank you.”

Later she saw Grealish “fast asleep” in the house.

She told detectives: “I remember him being quite drunk.”

The woman said she had not previously met Grealish and only “knew of him just off the TV”.

She said the footballer and his friends did not do anything that made her feel uncomfortable.

She confirmed to police that she did not have any sexual contact with Grealish.

The detective asked: “Have you since that night told anybody if you had any physical contact with him?”

“No,” she replied.

What else was said?

The court heard that days before the woman was invited by Louis Saha Matturie to watch a Manchester City match from a private box.

At the time she said she thought he was Mendy’s personal assistant or “some kind of entourage, a bodyguard”.

In a text exchange with a friend, Mendy was referred to as “the worst player on the team…guy goes out too much.

“He made us lose against Tottenham.”

The trial was adjourned until Tuesday morning.