- Bafta-winning actor Micheal Ward, known for his roles in Top Boy and Blue Story, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of rape, two counts of assault by penetration and one count of sexual assault against a woman in January 2023.
- Prosecutor Tracy Ayling KC informed Snaresbrook Crown Court that Ward met the alleged victim at an 'all-white party' at Infinity Lounge nightclub in east London on New Year's Day, subsequently inviting her to an afterparty.
- The court heard that after leaving the afterparty, the woman was asked by Ward to join him in a car, where he allegedly became 'impatient' and told her to 'stop wasting time' when she initially hesitated to move to the back seat.
- Once in the back seat, Ward is accused of sexually assaulting and then raping the woman, despite her telling him 'I don't wanna do that' and that 'this was not a situation she wanted to be in', and sternly telling her to close the car door when she attempted to open it.
- The alleged victim did not immediately report the incident to the police, explaining she did not 'fully come to terms with what had actually happened' and felt unable to speak out 'because of who he is', while Ward stated to police that they had consensual foreplay and sex.
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