TOP BOY ACTOR RAPED WOMAN IN CAR, COURT HEARS
Michael Ward, aged 28, pleads not guilty to charges including two counts of rape, a pair of assault by penetration accusations, and one sexual assault allegation involving a woman in January 2023, according to reports from the Evening Standard.The actor from Top Boy is accused of assaulting a woman in a car after their meeting at a London nightclub, a court has been informed.
Ward, who starred in Blue Story, maintains his innocence against the charges.
He is accused of two rapes, two counts of penetration assault, and one sexual assault charge relating to a woman in early 2023.
The court heard that Ward first encountered the alleged victim at an “all-white party” held at Infinity Lounge nightclub located in Gants Hill, east London, on January 1, prosecutor Tracy Ayling KC told jurors.
During her opening statement, she explained that the woman, who is described as young, recognized Ward from television and films, and he asked for her Snapchat contact details.
As guests began to leave around 2.20am on January 2, the woman was reportedly asked to go with Ward to the back of his friend’s Mercedes vehicle.
Inside the car, they shared a kiss, and the woman allegedly consented to him touching her genitals, the court heard.
Ward, from Royal Crest Avenue in Silvertown, London, then invited her to an afterparty in Stratford.
The woman and her two friends agreed to attend and planned to return to Suffolk afterward.
Jurors were told the alleged victim felt uncomfortable at the predominantly male event and left shortly after speaking with a few individuals.
Outside, she saw Ward again, who questioned her about her plans.
She explained they were leaving because of the long drive, but Ward suggested she approach a parked car further up the road to speak with her again.
She was instructed to walk behind him and to avoid engaging with anyone along the way, the court was informed.
Ward then got into the driver’s seat while the woman sat in the passenger seat, during which time he kissed her and invited her into the back seat.
Prosecutor Ayling stated that Ward grew impatient and urged her to stop delaying the kiss in the front seat.
Once in the back, he allegedly kissed her breasts, despite her saying she did not want to participate in that.
The court heard that Ward then committed sexual assault by kissing her genitals and penetrating her vagina and anus with his fingers.
The woman expressed her discomfort and attempted to exit the vehicle, but Ward reportedly instructed her to stay inside.
In a police interview played in court, the woman recounted trying to leave the car and feeling numb and scared during the assaults, expressing a desire for it to end.
She claims Ward then performed oral sex on her, asserting she felt pressured, and continued to assault her in the vehicle.
He is accused of instructing her explicitly by saying, “When I tell you to suck my d***, what do you do?” Following the incidents, the woman walked to her friend’s car, and Ward sent her emojis reflecting emotion, which she responded to neutrally.
She experienced pain afterward and had to get tested for sexually transmitted infections, indicating she had been sexually assaulted.
The woman maintained communication with Ward afterward on friendly terms, partly due to her confusion about the events, and initially hesitated to report the matter to police.
Ward was detained on January 18, 2023, and at that time, he denied the allegations, insisting that their encounters were consensual.
The actor, born in Jamaica, has previously received the Bafta Rising Star award in 2020 and was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at Bafta for his part in BBC’s Small Axe in 2021, as well as for the 2022 film Empire Of Light.
He participated in a Soccer Aid match at Stamford Bridge in 2024 and read aloud at a Christmas Eve event hosted by the Princess of Wales in 2023.
Additionally, he starred alongside Joaquin Phoenix and Pedro Pascal in the film Eddington, which premiered last August.
The trial is ongoing.
