Micheal Ward has denied allegations of rape and sexual assault, telling a London court that his sexual encounter with the complainant was entirely consensual and that the pair were “having a great time.”
The BAFTA-winning actor is standing trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court, where he faces two counts of rape, two counts of assault by penetration, and one count of sexual assault relating to an incident alleged to have occurred on New Year’s Day in January 2023. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Giving evidence in his own defence, Ward rejected every allegation against him.
Asked by his defence barrister whether he raped or sexually assaulted the complainant, Ward replied: “No miss, I did not.”
He told the jury that there was a mutual attraction between them and that everything which happened was consensual.
“We had a mutual attraction with each other. We engaged in consensual sex, had a great time, and she was actively participating in what we were doing all the time,” he said.
According to Ward, he first met the woman outside a New Year’s party he was hosting in Gants Hill, east London, after spending Christmas with his family.
He described her as “very cute” and said they immediately began flirting before exchanging Snapchat details.
“I could tell there was interest there—from her eye contact and the way she was speaking,” he told the court.
Ward said they later spoke again during the party and continued flirting before she messaged him saying she was waiting by a car outside.
He said they chatted before he invited her into a vehicle, describing what followed as a continuation of the flirtation.
“She was touching me and I was touching her,” Ward said.
“She was rubbing my leg when we were kissing. She kept her arms around me, and it was a developing situation.”
He added: “She was reciprocating the energy. She was pulling me close. For me, that was an inviting act, and we were both enjoying that moment.”
Ward said they later travelled to an after-party in Stratford, where they continued talking before returning to his friend’s Mercedes-Benz.
He told jurors they sat in the front seats before moving to the back of the vehicle together.
According to Ward, the woman voluntarily moved into the back seat, the car doors were unlocked, and she never indicated she wanted to leave.
“There was foreplay that happened. Everything was comfortable, and it progressed in a comfortable way,” he said.
“Everything was progressing in a natural hot way, and we were just enjoying it. She was actively participating in everything we were doing.”
Ward said that if she had shown any sign of not consenting, the encounter would have stopped immediately.
“If she did, we would not have done it,” he told the court.
He also said the pair hugged, kissed and spoke after the encounter before she left, adding that he hoped to see her again but became occupied with work commitments.
The jury heard the pair later exchanged text messages, including one from Ward containing a smiling face with a heart emoji, to which the complainant replied wishing him an enjoyable rest of the evening.
Earlier in the trial, jurors heard the complainant’s recorded police interview in which she alleged Ward was “overpowering” and prevented her from leaving the vehicle.
She told investigators she attempted to exit the car but claimed Ward instructed her to shut the door before allegedly forcing her to perform sexual acts against her will.
The complainant said she felt “numb” and “scared” throughout the encounter and claimed Ward told her, “If I tell you to do it, you do it.”
She also alleged he later said, “If you are quick you can go.”
Ward was arrested on January 18, 2023. During his police interview he denied the allegations, stating: “I deny the allegation of rape. I want to put on record that we had consensual foreplay and consensual sex.”
He was formally charged in July 2025.
The trial is continuing.
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