Top Boy star Michael Ward has been acquitted of all charges of rape and sexual assault against a woman. A jury found the Bafta-winning actor, 28, not guilty of two counts of rape, two counts of assault by penetration, and one count of sexual assault. The allegations concerned an incident said to have occurred in the back of a car on January 2, 2023.
Snaresbrook Crown Court heard that Ward met the woman at a nightclub in Stratford, east London, and they subsequently went to an afterparty. The woman testified that she felt "numb" and "scared" during the encounter and did not feel she had a choice. Ward, who rose to fame playing drug dealer Jamie in the Netflix series Top Boy, broke down in tears upon hearing the verdict.
During the trial, Ward stated that he and the woman had flirted and shared "passionate" kisses. He told the court that an intimate act between them would only have occurred if she wanted it. He described her as confident and "very cute," and asserted that there was mutual attraction and that she actively participated throughout their encounter. Ward recalled a "flirty" conversation with the woman, who he said accepted his request for her Snapchat details, indicating her interest.
Ward recounted that as the party concluded, he received a message from the woman stating she was waiting by a car. The court was informed that the pair kissed and hugged in a Mercedes outside the initial party venue, and later engaged in an intimate encounter in a different Mercedes outside an afterparty event. Ward stated he asked her to move to the back seat, which she did. He told the jury that the car door was unlocked, she gave no indication of wanting to leave, and they kissed again as a "developing situation" occurred. He expressed his belief that she wanted to be there and never mentioned wanting to leave, though he recalled her mentioning her friends were waiting.
Ward maintained that he did not force her, describing the events as progressing in a "natural, hot way" that they were both enjoying. The prosecution presented a case that Ward was determined to have sex with her regardless of her wishes. The defense highlighted inconsistencies in the woman's account, suggesting she had not been truthful with the police or the court. The court heard that the woman had Googled Ward before attending the party and sent pictures to a friend.
Prosecutor Tracy Ayling KC noted that the woman admitted finding Ward attractive and did not deny that initial kissing and hugging were consensual. The woman's friends testified in court that her demeanor seemed "off" when she returned to their car later that night, and she ordered an STI kit during the journey home. The woman stated she exchanged messages with Ward afterward because she had not "fully come to terms with what had actually happened." Ward said his busy schedule led to their contact fizzling out, though he had wanted to see her again.
Ward stated he was "shocked" by his arrest at the airport upon returning from Italy, asserting that he knew he had done nothing wrong and wanted to understand the situation. Defense counsel Sallie Bennett-Jenkins KC argued that the woman had been inconsistent and told "a series of lies." The court heard that 18 months elapsed between the woman's initial police interview and her reporting the deletion of message parts, which came to light when investigators requested screenshots from her friends. The defense also pointed out that the woman mentioned having blood on her clothing, but tests found none, and she wavered on whether flirting had occurred. Ms. Bennett-Jenkins suggested there were at least three significant areas where the woman could be demonstrated not to have told the truth, questioning her reliability as a witness.