Top Boy actor Micheal Ward broke down in tears in court on Friday after a jury found him not guilty of all r+pe and s+xual a§§ault charges brought against him.
The 28-year-old actor had been accused of raping and s+xually a§§aulting a woman in the back of a Mercedes after they met outside a New Year’s party in east London in January 2023. Ward denied the allegations, insisting throughout the trial that the encounter was consensual.
After a two-week trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court, jurors unanimously cleared Ward of two counts of r+pe, two counts of a§§ault by penetration, and one count of s+xual a§§ault following more than five hours of deliberations.
As the verdicts were read, Ward became emotional and burst into tears, while his family and friends in the public gallery shouted in relief. He was later assisted out of the courtroom by his defence lawyer.
During the trial, Ward told the court, “Everything we did was wholly consensual.” He added, “We engaged in consensual s+x, had a great time and she was actively participating in what we were doing all the time.”
Following the verdict, his solicitor, Humzah Ilyas, said the case had a “profound impact” on the actor’s life and career.
“As he maintained throughout this case, this was a consensual s+xual encounter. The jury agreed and cleared him of all wrongdoing,” Ilyas said, adding that Ward was grateful to the jury, his family and God.
He also noted that the actor wanted to acknowledge survivors of s+xual v+olence, saying they “deserve to be heard, treated with compassion, and have their allegations taken seriously.”
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