Award-winning actor Micheal Ward's reputation has been tarnished by his appearance in Snaresbrook Crown Court, where he stands accused of raping and sexually assaulting a woman in a car in London in 2023. The 28-year-old actor, known for his prominent roles in the Netflix series 'Top Boy' and the film 'Blue Story', denies two charges of rape and three counts of sexual assault, claiming that all sexual activity between himself and the alleged victim was consensual.
The court heard on Monday that the alleged incident took place shortly after Ward met the woman for the first time at a party in a north-east London nightclub. Jurors were told the woman was aware of Ward's acting career and felt 'flattered' when he requested her Snapchat contact details, subsequently joining him in the back of a friend's Mercedes where they kissed and she consented to intimate touching.
Following this initial encounter, the actor reportedly invited the woman and her friends to an afterparty at a different location. It is in a car near this second party venue that the alleged rape and sexual assault are said to have occurred. In a police interview played to the jury, the alleged victim stated, 'I tried to leave the vehicle and he told me to close the door,' describing her feelings as 'numb' and 'scared' during the alleged assaults, and recalling 'wanting it all to be over.'
Upon his arrest, Ward provided a statement to the police, asserting, 'I deny the allegation of rape. I want to put on record that we had consensual foreplay and consensual sex.' The London-raised actor, who won a Bafta Rising Star award in 2020, gained significant recognition for his portrayal of gang leader Jamie in 'Top Boy' and Marco in 'Blue Story', a film depicting street rivalry in south London.