Micheal Ward has told jurors that a woman accusing him of rape was a ‘willing participant’ in their sexual encounter, a court has heard.
The Bafta-winning actor, who was cross-examined in his trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court in east London today, denied that he was ‘bent on’ getting his own way when he allegedly raped a woman in the back of a car.
Ward, whose breakout role was in the drama series Top Boy, is accused of raping the woman after meeting her at a nightclub in east London.
Prosecutor Tracy Ayling KC told him ‘you were bent on getting what you wanted’.
Ward responded: ‘That definitely was not the case. I have no interest in being with someone who does not want to be with me.’
After Ms Ayling said again that he was ‘bent that night on having sex with her’, Ward said: ‘No miss, it was what we wanted. She was a willing participant in everything that went on.’
The court heard they later exchanged messages and Ward sent her a smiling emoji with a heart before she told him to enjoy the rest of his night.
Ms Ayling added: ‘I would suggest you were only trying to make sure that she would not report what happened that night.’
Ward responded: ‘No, I would suggest that would be wrong.’
The Jamaican-born former model, 28, was awarded the Bafta rising star award in 2020 before being recognised with a supporting actor nomination for his role in Small Axe in 2021 and the 2022 film Empire of Light.
He also starred in films such as Blue Story and The Old Guard, as well as the American film Eddington which released in cinemas last year and featured Joaquin Phoenix and Pedro Pascal among its cast.
Ward previously told the jury that ‘everything we did was wholly consensual and we were having a great time’.
He said they had shared a ‘quite flirty’ conversation and ‘passionate’ kisses, which then became a ‘developing situation’.
When Ms Ayling suggested ‘the only person who had a great time was you’, Ward said: ‘She was consenting by the way she was moving with me and she was an active participant in everything we did.’
He also added that the consensual intimate acts between them was ‘something she wanted to do and [it was] not that I forced her’.
The court heard how Ward had hosted a New Year party in Gants Hill, east London, after he enjoyed Christmas with his close-knit family.
he said that he thought the woman was ‘very cute’ when he first saw her outside the venue, where she was with a group of friends.
After approaching the group, he said they then shared a ‘quite flirty’ conversation before he asked for her Snapchat details.
Jurors heard that the pair later kissed and hugged inside a Mercedes parked outside the party before having a further intimate encounter in another Mercedes outside an after-party.
Ward denied preventing the woman from leaving the unlocked vehicle, rejecting her claim that she told him she needed to leave ‘on multiple occasions’.
Ward told the court on Tuesday: ‘She stayed, which allowed us to grow our sexual contact.’
The court previously heard the woman testify that she ‘did not use the word no’ during the encounter and that she ‘completely shut down’.
Ward maintained that he did not force her and said they kissed, hugged and spoke before she left. He added that he wanted to see her again but was unable to because of his busy work schedule.