1 hour ago British histrion Micheal Ward has denied raping a pistillate successful the backmost of a car, telling a assemblage the brushwood was consensual and helium thought they were "having a large time".
Ward, 28, is accused of raping the pistillate aft gathering her astatine a nightclub successful eastbound London connected 2 January 2023. He denies 2 charges of rape and 3 counts of intersexual assault.
Ward told Snaresbrook Crown Court successful London connected Monday that they had shared a "quite flirty" speech and "passionate" kisses, which past became a "developing situation".
The Bafta-award winning histrion is known for his starring roles successful the movie Blue Story and Netflix bid Top Boy.
The pistillate - who cannot beryllium named for ineligible reasons - broke down past week arsenic she told the assemblage she "did not recognize the situation" she was successful and that she "never would person got successful that car with him" if she had known.
Jurors were antecedently told she knew Ward had been successful films and connected TV and felt flattered erstwhile helium asked for her Snapchat handle.
The pistillate recalled that she "did not usage the connection no" during the brushwood and "completely unopen down", but said she told Ward that she needed to permission "on aggregate occasions".
On Monday, Ward told the tribunal that she was an "active participant".
"Everything we did was wholly consensual and we were having a large time," helium said, erstwhile asked what helium thought astir the concern by his lawyer Sallie Bennett-Jenkins KC.
"We had a communal attraction with each other. We engaged successful consensual sex, had a large clip and she was actively participating successful what we were doing each the time."
The alleged incidental happened during a caller twelvemonth enactment Ward was hosting successful Gants Hill, eastbound London.
He told the tribunal helium thought the pistillate was "very cute" erstwhile helium saw her extracurricular the venue, and that portion talking to her helium could "tell determination was involvement determination - from her oculus interaction and the mode she was speaking".
They had a "very light" and "very cool" chat, Ward told the court, and helium asked her to articulation him successful a car, wherever determination was a "continuation of the flirting".
"She was reciprocating the energy. She was pulling maine close. For me, that was an inviting enactment and we were some enjoying that moment," Ward told the court, adding that she "never mentioned thing astir wanting to leave".
Afterwards, the pistillate had seemed "absolutely fine" and they had a "nice and engaging wide conversation", Ward said.
The tribunal heard that they aboriginal exchanged messages - helium sent her a smiling emoji with a heart, and she told him to bask the remainder of his night.
When asked by his lawyer if the pistillate did thing to amusement she did not privation what happened, Ward replied: "No miss, if she did, we would not person done it."
During the proceedings past week, the tribunal heard that the pistillate looked upset erstwhile she got into a friend's car to spell location aft the alleged assault.
The friend, who besides cannot beryllium named for ineligible reasons, told the tribunal the woman's "demeanour was off" and "she kept connected crying" erstwhile asked what had happened.
The alleged unfortunate ordered an STI kit portion returning location and ticked a container which asked if she had been sexually assaulted, the tribunal heard.
Ward was awarded the Bafta Rising Star Award successful 2020 and was aboriginal nominated doubly for roles successful the BBC's Small Axe and 2022 movie Empire of Light.
The proceedings continues.
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