Benjamin Mendy charged with 7th rape
Manchester City footballer Benjamin Mendy has been charged with a further count of rape.
The French international, of Prestbury in Cheshire, is now accused of seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault relating to five women.
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The 27-year-old was charged last week with the latest offence but it was subject to reporting restrictions.
These restrictions were lifted earlier as Mr Mendy appeared at Chester Crown Court for a hearing ahead of his trial.
The latest charge relates to a new complainant and is alleged to have taken place in July this year.
The earlier charges are alleged to have happened between October 2020 and August 2021.
The footballer, who has been in custody since his arrest in August, appeared alongside his co-defendant Louis Saha Matturie, 40, of Eccles in Greater Manchester.
Mr Matturie is accused of six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.
Both men were remanded into custody at HMP Altcourse in Liverpool after the 40-minute hearing.
Their trial, which was scheduled for January, was also put back to later in the year.
Mr Mendy has played for last season's Premier League champions Manchester City since 2017, when he joined from Monaco for a reported £52m.