Actor Micheal Ward Testifies Sexual Encounter Was Consensual as Rape Trial Continues

Micheal Ward told Snaresbrook Crown Court on Monday that a sexual encounter with a woman was consensual and that both parties were having a great time. BBC News reported that the 28-year-old actor, who faces two rape charges and three counts of sexual assault, described the meeting at a nightclub in east London on 2 January 2023 as the start of a mutual attraction.

Ward said the pair shared a quite flirty conversation and passionate kisses that developed further after he invited her into a car during a new year party he hosted in Gants Hill.

He told the court the woman was an active participant who reciprocated the energy, pulled him close and never mentioned wanting to leave. "Everything we did was wholly consensual and we were having a great time," Ward said when asked by his lawyer what he thought about the situation.

He added that they engaged in consensual sex, had a nice and engaging general conversation afterward and exchanged messages that included a smiling emoji with a heart from him.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, previously told the jury she did not understand the situation she was in and that she never would have got in the car if she had known what would happen. She said she told Ward on multiple occasions that she needed to leave but did not use the word no and completely shut down.

Ward was awarded the Bafta Rising Star Award in 2020 and is known for roles in the film Blue Story and the Netflix series Top Boy.

The trial continues.