Top Boy actor Micheal Ward found not guilty of rape
BBC News 2026-07-10 14:52:59
Context: British actor Micheal Ward, known for his roles in the Netflix series "Top Boy" and the film "Blue Story," was found not guilty of raping a woman in a trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court in east London. The alleged incident occurred on January 2, 2023, when Ward met the woman at a nightclub and she claimed he attacked her in the back of a car. Ward denied all charges, stating that the encounter was consensual.
Key Facts
- Micheal Ward, 28, was acquitted of two charges of rape and three charges of sexual assault by a jury at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Friday.
- Ward had met the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, at an east London nightclub on January 2, 2023, and claimed they had a consensual encounter in the back of a car.
- During the trial, Ward told the jury that he thought the woman was "very cute" when he met her and sensed "there was interest there," and that she was "reciprocating the energy" and "pulling me close" during the encounter.
- The woman gave a different account, stating that she would have "never would have got in that car with him" if she had known what would happen, and that Ward "raped" her, although she admitted she "completely shut down" and "did not use the word no" during the alleged attack.
- After the alleged incident, the woman ordered an STI kit on the way home with a friend, ticking a box asking if she had been sexually assaulted, and Ward was arrested on January 18, 2023, when he told police that he denied the allegation of rape and stated that they had consensual foreplay and consensual sex.