Top Boy actor Micheal Ward found not guilty of rape
Micheal Ward, best known for his role in the TV show Top Boy, has been found not guilty of rape after a highly publicised trial in London.
The BAFTA-winning actor had been charged with two counts of rape, two counts of assault by penetration and one count of sexual assault following an alleged incident in January 2023.
Reports say that the celebrity sobbed in the docks after he was found not guilty by a jury, having told the court 'everything they did was wholly consensual'.
Ward was charged with the crimes last year, with the jury taking five hours and 25 minutes to find him not guilty.
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Ward's solicitor Humzah Ilyas said in a statement outside court that Ward is 'looking forward to getting back to doing the work he loves.'
He added that victims of sexual assault 'deserve to be heard, treated with compassion, and have their allegations taken seriously'.
The alleged victim had told the trial that she 'completely shut down' during the encounter, and felt 'numb' and 'scared', claiming to have told him on multiple occasions she wanted to leave.
She said she 'didn't feel like she had a choice' in the encounter, whilst Ward has maintained his innocence, telling police in a prepared statement: "I deny the allegation of rape. I want to put on record that we had consensual foreplay and consensual sex."
The pair met at an East London New Year's party, and he told the court regarding the incident after they met each other: "She was reciprocating the energy. She was pulling me close.
"For me, that was an inviting act and we were both enjoying that moment."
Ward also denied her allegation that she told him she wanted to leave, saying: "I really feel that she wanted to be there. She never mentioned anything about wanting to leave.” He also claimed that the car was unlocked.
Ward said in court: "We engaged in consensual sex, had a great time and she was actively participating in what we were doing all the time."
Defence counsel Sallie Bennett-Jenkins KC told the jury: “The woman has bluntly not been consistent and has told a series of lies that go to the heart of this matter. She has told them to the police and she has told them to you.”
Ward is best known for his roles in the hit TV show Top Boy as Jamie and Blue Story as Marco. He later was BAFTA-nominated for roles in Small Axe and Empire of Light.
The actor was born in Jamaica and raised by his three sisters and mum after his father died in a car crash when he was two years old, moving to London aged four.
Topics: Top Boy, Celebrity, TV and Film, Crime, UK News
Michael Slavin