Top Boy star Michael Ward faces trial over alleged sexual assault in car

Michael Ward, best known for Top Boy, is accused of sexually assaulting a woman inside a car.

On the two counts of rape and assault by penetration and a count of sexual assault, the actor has pleaded not guilty to the alleged incident, which took place in early 2023.

In Snaresbrook Crown Court, prosecutors said Ward and the woman first met at a party at Infinity Lounge in London on New Year’s Day.

The court heard he allegedly asked for the woman’s Snapchat, and then in the actor’s friend's car, the pair kissed and let Ward intimately touch her.

After a brief encounter, the BAFTA Rising Star winner invited the woman to an afterparty in Stratford.

There, the situation took a dramatic turn, the court has heard.

Per the prosecution, when the woman attempted to leave the party early, Ward persuaded her to talk somewhere privately.

The pair got into another parked car, but once inside, the prosecutors claim, Ward began his sexual assault.

Despite the woman allegedly telling the Blue Story star to stop because she was feeling uncomfortable, Ward – according to her – did not relent.

Jurors heard the woman saying she felt "numb" and "scared" during the alleged assault.

Afterward, Ward and the woman continued friendly exchanges for some time.

According to the prosecution, this is because the woman had not yet fully processed what had happened.

In addition, Ward’s star power was another reason she was unable to speak out at the time.

The actor was arrested on Jan. 18, 2023.

Ward strenuously denied wrongdoing, claiming the act was consensual, as the trial is ongoing.