Bafta-winning actor Micheal Ward is on trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court, accused of raping a woman after meeting her at a nightclub in east London. The alleged victim told police that Ward said, 'If I tell you to do it, you do it,' and that she felt she had no choice but to comply.
Alleged assault details
The woman, who was 23 at the time of the alleged assault on January 2 2023, said Ward was 'overpowering' and that the atmosphere changed completely when he made her get into the back of a car. In a police interview played to jurors, she stated, 'I tried to leave the vehicle and he told me to close the door.'
She described feeling 'numb' and 'scared,' and remembered 'wanting it all to be over.' The woman added, 'I didn't really feel like I had a choice. I said I didn’t want to do it.'
Police interviews and evidence
In a second interview on July 29 2024, also played to the jury, the woman said Ward 'didn't respect what I was saying. All he cared about was what he wanted.' She cried during the interviews and said she genuinely believed that if she did what he asked, she could leave.
The woman initially hid phone messages she sent to Ward after the alleged assaults, explaining she was 'embarrassed' and 'didn't really feel like I had an explanation as to why I replied.'
Defence and background
Ward, 28, denies two counts of rape, two counts of assault by penetration, and one count of sexual assault. He was arrested on January 18 2023 and told police in a prepared statement: 'I deny the allegation of rape. I want to put on record that we had consensual foreplay and consensual sex.'
The woman testified that she found Ward attractive but that he made comments that made her uncomfortable. She attended an afterparty with friends to use the toilet, where Ward asked her to go to a car to talk, giving specific instructions to walk behind him and not speak to anyone.
Ward, who won the Bafta Rising Star award in 2020 and was nominated for best supporting actor for his role in BBC's Small Axe, also starred in films such as Blue Story and Eddington. The trial continues.
