Top Boy' Actor Micheal Ward Cleared Of Rape, Sexual Assault Charges

British actor Micheal Ward, known for Netflix’s Top Boy, was cleared of rape and sexual assault charges by a London court. The 28-year-old was acquitted on Friday after a 10-day trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court in east London, where the jury returned unanimous not-guilty verdicts on five counts following about a day of deliberations. Ward faced two counts of rape, two counts of assault by penetration, and one count of sexual assault linked to an encounter in January 2023. The allegations related to a meeting after a New Year’s Day party in Ilford, with the court hearing that Ward and the woman went separately to an after-party in Stratford. Prosecutors alleged he invited her into the back of a Mercedes and assaulted her, while the defense argued the encounter was consensual. A forensic point noted no blood was found on her clothing. Ward’s Top Boy co-star Jasmine Jobson testified in his defence, describing him as a close friend and highlighting the impact of the case on his professional life.