Top Boy actor Micheal Ward found not guilty of rape
British actor Micheal Ward, known for his role in Top Boy, has been acquitted of all rape and sexual assault charges by a jury at Snaresbrook Crown Court. Ward maintained that the encounter was consensual, while the complainant testified that she had not consented to the sexual acts.
Why it matters
The case highlights the complexities of legal proceedings involving high-profile figures and the critical importance of consent in sexual assault trials.
Image source, PA Media Image caption, Micheal Ward poses for the cameras at an event last year
British actor Micheal Ward has been cleared of raping a woman who claimed he had attacked her in the back of a car.
Ward, 28, denied two charges of rape and three of sexual assault, and a jury at Snaresbrook Crown Court acquitted him on all counts on Friday.
He had met the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, at an east London nightclub on 2 January 2023.
Bafta winner Ward, who is best known for the film Blue Story and Netflix series Top Boy, said: "Everything we did was wholly consensual."
During the trial, Ward told the jury he thought they were "having a great time" during the encounter.
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