Top Boy Actor Micheal Ward (Jamie) Cleared of Rape and Sexual Assault Charges

British actor Micheal Ward has been found not guilty of two counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault following a trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court in London.

The 28-year-old BAFTA-winning actor, best known for his roles in Blue Story and Netflix’s Top Boy (Played Jamie Tovell), had denied all allegations. On Friday, a jury acquitted him on all five charges.

The case stemmed from an encounter between Ward and a woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, after they met at a nightclub in east London on 2 January 2023.

During the trial, Ward maintained that all sexual activity between them was consensual. He told the court that the pair flirted throughout the evening and that the woman willingly joined him in a car, where the encounter took place.

Ward testified that he believed they were “having a great time” and said the woman appeared comfortable throughout the encounter. He also told the jury that she never expressed a desire to leave and that they later exchanged friendly text messages.

However, the complainant gave a different account, telling the court that she had not consented to the sexual activity. She said she “completely shut down” during the incident, did not verbally say “no,” but repeatedly told Ward she wanted to leave. She also testified that she ordered an STI testing kit on her way home, indicating she believed she had been sexually assaulted.

When arrested on 18 January 2023, Ward denied the allegations in a prepared statement to police, saying the encounter involved “consensual foreplay and consensual sex.”

Following the verdict, Ward’s solicitor, Humzah Ilyas, said the three-and-a-half-year investigation had placed the actor’s life and career on hold.

He added that Ward was grateful the legal process had concluded and was looking forward to returning to the work he loves. Ward also acknowledged survivors of sexual violence, saying they deserve to be heard, treated with compassion, and have their allegations taken seriously.

Ward concluded by thanking God, his family, and everyone who supported him throughout the case.