Actor Micheal Ward acquitted of all charges in London rape trial after jury deliberates five hours

Verdict and reaction

The jury deliberated for five hours and 25 minutes before returning unanimous not guilty verdicts on all five charges. Ward stood in the dock with his hand over his mouth as the foreman read each verdict, then wept and leaned on his defence lawyer. His solicitor, Humzah Ilyas, read a statement outside the court. Ward stood beside him, visibly emotional.

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. This has, inevitably, had a profound impact on him and those closest to him.

Ilyas said Ward was "enormously grateful" to the jury and added that the actor hopes to rebuild his life. He also spoke of compassion for those who have experienced sexual violence, saying their allegations deserve to be taken seriously.

The prosecution's case

The charges stemmed from an encounter on 2 January 2023. Ward met a woman at a New Year's Day party in Ilford, east London, before both travelled separately to an after-party in Stratford. Prosecutors alleged he invited the woman into the back of a Mercedes and then sexually assaulted and raped her. The complainant, who cannot be named under UK law, told the court she repeatedly indicated she wanted to leave and said she felt intimidated by Ward's fame. She delayed reporting to police because she initially blamed herself.

I didn't really feel like I had a choice.

The woman testified she was left in pain after the alleged assault and believed there had been blood on her clothing.

The defence

Ward denied all allegations throughout the 10-day trial and gave evidence that the encounter was consensual. He described the evening as "friendly and flirty" and insisted the woman was a willing participant.

It was what we wanted. There was mutual interest.

His legal team pointed to forensic evidence showing that examinations of the complainant's leggings and underwear found no blood, despite her recollection. Ward had pleaded consensual relations from the outset, including in a prepared statement to police after his arrest later in January 2023.

Witness testimony and career toll

The court also heard from actor Jasmine Jobson, Ward's co-star in the Netflix crime drama Top Boy. She described him as "my brother" and "a beautiful soul," and told jurors she had never felt uncomfortable around him. Jobson added that the charges had effectively halted Ward's acting career for more than three years while the case was pending.

Ward's background

Ward, born in Jamaica and raised in London, won the Bafta Rising Star Award in 2020 for his performance in the film Blue Story. He gained wider recognition through his role in Top Boy and later appeared in Steve McQueen's Small Axe anthology. The trial at Snaresbrook crown court in east London briefly suffered an interruption after a social media influencer with a large following was involved, though the nature of that disruption was not detailed in court reports. Ward's solicitor said the actor now looks forward to returning to work.