‘Top Boy’ actor Micheal Ward found not guilty of rape
British actor Micheal Ward has been found not guilty of rape and sexual assault.
Ward was acquitted of two counts of rape, two counts of assault by penetration, and one count of sexual assault unanimously by a jury at Snaresbook County Court on July 10th.
The actor, who is best known for Top Boy and Eddington, denied the charges, telling the police upon being arrested in 2023, “I deny the allegation of rape. I want to put on record that we had consensual foreplay and consensual sex.”
He reiterated this in the trial, stating, “Everything we did was wholly consensual.”
Per Sky News, Ward cried in the dock upon being found not guilty.
The trial lasted two weeks, with the jury taking five hours and 25 minutes to come to their unanimous decision.
Speaking outside the court, the actor’s solicitor Humzah Ilyas said Ward is “looking forward to getting back to doing the work he loves”. Ilyas also added that sexual assault victims “deserve to be heard, treated with compassion, and have their allegations taken seriously”.
During the opening day of the trial on June 29th, the court heard that Ward met the woman for the first time on January 1st, 2023, at the Infinity Lounge nightclub in East London.
Subsequently, she was asked to accompany Ward in the back of his friend’s Mercedes, where she consented to him touching her sexually, the court was told.
They then attended another party in Stratford; however, the court heard the woman got a “weird vibe” from the event, which was largely attended by males, and decided to depart with her two friends shortly after.
The court was told that the woman, who remains anonymous due to legal reasons, saw Ward outside, and he invited her to walk to a vehicle that was parked down the road.
Prosecutor Tracy Ayling KC told the court on June 29th that Ward, who sat in the driver’s seat, became “quite impatient” and allegedly told her to “stop wasting time” when she told him he was allowed to kiss her from the front seat.
It is alleged that he then went into the back seat and kissed her breasts. The court heard that Ward allegedly then committed assault by penetration on two occasions.
In court, Ward denied those claims, stating, “She was reciprocating the energy. She was pulling me close. For me, that was an inviting act and we were both enjoying that moment,” before adding (via BBC News) that “never mentioned anything about wanting to leave”
However, the woman told the court that “Micheal raped me”, and said that she “completely shut down” and “did not use the word no” during the alleged attack.
Ward won the EE Bafta Rising Star Award in 2020 following his acting breakthrough in Top Boy and Blue Story.
For help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.
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