Man City Player Benjamin Mendy Moved From HMP Altcourse To 'One Of UK's Toughest Prisons' Due To Safety Concerns

The 27-year-old defender, who remains in custody, is charged with seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault and is set to appear in court on Friday.

Mendy was moved to Strangeways, officially known as HMP Manchester, due to growing fears over his safety.

Strangeways is a top-security prison and previously hosted notorious serial killer Harold Shipman and Manchester serial rapist Reynhard Sinaga.

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Mendy and co-defendant Louis Saha Matturie, who is facing six counts of rape and one for sexual assault, were both reportedly driven to Strangeways on 23rd December.

According to The Sun, both Mendy and Saha were moved because “their case is so high profile” and “Category A conditions might be better equipped” for their safety.

A source told the newspaper: “He won’t know what’s hit him coming from Altcourse, which is a privately run prison.

“It’s one of the toughest jails in the country. His other problem will be the amount of Man United fans in there.

“They will be screaming his name for weeks so he won’t be getting much sleep, especially as he’s charged with sex offences.

“There are a lot of Blues’ fans there as well, but even the most avid will struggle to protect an alleged sex offender.”

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The former Marseille and Monaco player’s charges of seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault relate to five women.

Both Mendy and Matturie will appear in court on Friday and a hearing will be held for bail arrangements and custody time.

The trial preparation and a plea will be heard on 24th January, with the trial scheduled to start on either 27th June or 1st August.