Former Manchester City player Benjamin Mendy is entitled to the majority of his 11-million-pound ($14.15 million) claim for unauthorized deductions from his wages by the club, a judge ruled Wednesday.
Mendy took City to a two-day employment tribunal in Manchester, claiming the club wrongly stopped his salary after he was charged with sex offences and remanded into custody in August 2021.
Mendy was cleared by a jury of six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, relating to four young women or teenagers, following a six-month trial. Jurors failed to reach verdicts on two counts, of rape and attempted rape, leading to a retrial, during which he was found not guilty .
Mendy had denied the charges and said the incidents were consensual encounters.
Joanne Dunlop, the tribunal judge, ruled Wednesday that City was entitled to withhold Mendy’s money when he was remanded in custody due to breaching bail conditions, the PA News agency reported.
During the periods when Mendy was not in custody, he was also unable to fulfil his job primarily because he had been suspended by the Football Association. The judge ruled the nature of that suspension was “precautionary” and there were no findings of misconduct made by the FA.
The judge concluded the suspension was an impediment to him fulfilling his contract to train and play for City, which was “involuntary” or “unavoidable” on Mendy’s part. She said Mendy’s bail conditions were influenced, at least indirectly, by the FA suspension and were themselves an involuntary or unavoidable impediment.
The club was, therefore, not entitled to withhold his pay, and his contract with City contained no provision allowing them to withhold wages where an FA suspension and/or bail prevented him from playing.
There was no immediate comment from City about the ruling.
The total amount to which Mendy is entitled has yet to be agreed by his lawyers and City, the PA News agency reported.
#Judge #Rules #Benjamin #Mendy #Entitled #Majority #Claim #Club #Manchester #City
