Micheal Ward Found Not Guilty of Rape and Sexual Assault Charges

Actor Micheal Ward cried tears of relief after a jury at Snaresbrook Crown Court found him not guilty of rape and sexual assault on Friday.

The 28-year-old, known for his role as Jamie in the Netflix show Top Boy, faced two counts of rape, two counts of assault by penetration, and one count of sexual assault, according to Sky News.

The jury took five hours and 25 minutes to deliberate before clearing him of all five charges.

Ward showed strong emotions as the verdicts were announced, and family and friends in the court felt relieved. His defence lawyer helped him leave the courtroom afterward.

The charges stemmed from an alleged incident in January 2023. Ward was accused of raping a woman in the back of a Mercedes after they met outside a New Year’s party in east London.

During the two-week trial, Ward insisted that the sexual encounter was consensual.

"Everything we did was wholly consensual.

We engaged in consensual sex, had a great time and she was actively participating in what we were doing all the time," he told the court.

After the court session, Ward’s lawyer, Humzah Ilyas, expressed gratitude to the jury for their careful consideration of the evidence.

"Micheal Ward is enormously grateful to the members of the jury for taking the time to examine the evidence in this case with such care.

As he maintained throughout this case, this was a consensual sexual encounter. The jury agreed and cleared him of all wrongdoing," Ilyas said.

Ilyas mentioned that the police investigation lasted three and a half years and had a big impact on Ward’s personal life and acting career.

"It has been three and a half years since the police started investigating this matter, during which time Micheal’s life, as well as his successful career, has been put on hold.

Micheal is thankful this process has now reached a conclusion. He looks forward to getting back to the work he loves and focusing on the future," he said.

The solicitor also highlighted that Ward wanted to acknowledge those who have faced sexual violence and abuse.

"They deserve to be heard, treated with compassion, and have their allegations taken seriously," he added.

After the verdict, it was revealed that social media influencer Murad Merali was removed from the courtroom for posting about the trial online.

Judge Rosa Dean ordered him to delete the posts and leave the building. It seems no further action will be taken by the Attorney General’s Office.

Ward was born in Jamaica and grew up in east London. He won the BAFTA Rising Star Award in 2020 and has acted in films like Blue Story and Empire of Light.