UK actor Micheal Ward acquitted by London jury of rape and sexual assault charges

LONDON (AP) — British actor Micheal Ward was acquitted of rape and other charges Friday in a London court on allegations he sexually assaulted a woman in a Mercedes in 2023.

Ward, 28, who starred in the Netflix crime drama “Top Boy,” was found not guilty by a jury in Snaresbrook Crown Court of two counts of rape, two counts of assault by penetration and one count of sexual assault.

Ward has appeared in films including “Blue Story,” “The Book of Clarence” and last year’s American political satire “Eddington,” alongside Joaquin Phoenix and Pedro Pascal.

In 2020, he won the Rising Star award at the British Academy Film Awards, or BAFTAs. He was nominated for an acting BAFTA for Sam Mendes’ “Empire of Light” and for a BAFTA television award for the Steve McQueen-directbeed series “Small Axe.”

Ward had denied the charges and had said he had “full faith” he’d be cleared of the charges.

Defense lawyer Humzah Ilyas said Ward was “looking forward to getting back to doing the work he loves.”

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