Top Boy actor Michael Ward cleared of rape and sexual assault charges

The Top Boy actor Michael Ward has been cleared of raping and sexually assaulting a woman who claimed he had attacked her in the back of a car.Ward, 28, who is best known for his roles in the crime drama and Steve McQueen’s Small Axe, was acquitted of two counts of rape, two counts of assault by penetration and one count of sexual assault, after a 10-day trial at Snaresbrook crown court.The charges related to an encounter with a woman whom Ward met at a New Year’s Day party in Ilford, east London, in 2023 before the pair travelled separately to an after-party in Stratford.Prosecutors alleged Ward sexually assaulted and raped the woman in the back of a Mercedes after inviting her into the vehicle. The complainant, who cannot be named, told the court she repeatedly indicated she wanted to leave and had felt intimidated by Ward’s fame, delaying her report to police because she initially blamed herself for what had happened.Giving evidence, the woman said she had been left in pain after the alleged assault and believed there had been blood on her clothing.Ward denied the allegations throughout the trial, telling jurors the pair had been “friendly and flirty” during the evening and insisting she had been “a willing participant in everything that was going on”.“It was what we wanted,” he said. “There was mutual interest.”His defence argued the prosecution’s account was undermined by forensic evidence, which showed that examinations of the complainant’s clothing found no blood, despite her recollection that there had been some on her leggings and underwear.Ward was arrested later that month and, in a prepared statement to police, denied rape, saying the pair had engaged in consensual sexual activity.The court heard evidence from the actor Jasmine Jobson, Ward’s Top Boy co-star, who described him as “my brother” and said she had been “in total shock” when she learned of the allegations.Jobson told jurors she had always known Ward to be “a beautiful soul” and “a kind-hearted man”, adding that she had never felt uncomfortable around him. She said the charges had in effect halted his acting career for more than three years while the case was pending.The actor cried as the jury returned unanimous not guilty verdicts on all five charges after a day of deliberations.The trial was briefly interrupted after a social media influencer with more than half a million followers was removed from the court over videos he had posted online commenting on evidence while proceedings were ongoing.Murad Merali, a YouTuber known for celebrity and reality television commentary, had published videos discussing the complainant’s cross-examination and expressing views about her credibility. He had also filmed within the grounds of Snaresbrook crown court and approached members of Ward’s family outside the building.Judge Dean ordered Merali to take down the videos and leave the courthouse after telling him she was “absolutely determined to make sure that nothing disrupts this trial”. The attorney general was alerted to consider whether the posts amounted to contempt of court.The judge also cleared the public gallery for parts of the trial while inquiries were made to ensure jurors had not seen the online material.Ward rose to prominence in the 2019 film Blue Story before winning the Bafta rising star award in 2020. He has also appeared in Empire of Light.