Micheal Ward, the BAFTA-winning British star of “Top Boy” and “Eddington,” has been found not guilty of rape and sexual assault in a London court.

The 28-year-old was accused of raping a woman in the back of a car after meeting her outside a New Year’s party in London in January 2023.

Ward had denied two counts of rape, two counts of assault by penetration and one count of sexual assault. On Friday, the jury unanimously found him not guilty of all charges.

According to Sky News, Ward’s lawyer Humzah Ilyas spoke outside court and described how the case had had a “profound impact” on the actor, who won a BAFTA Rising Star award in 2020.

“Micheal Ward is enormously grateful to the jurors for taking the time to examine the evidence in this case so carefully. As he maintained throughout the case, this was a consensual sexual encounter. The jury agreed and acquitted him of any wrongdoing,” Ilyas said in a statement.

“It has been three and a half years since the police began investigating this matter, during which time Micheal’s life, as well as his successful career, have been put on hold. This, inevitably, has had a profound impact on him and those closest to him. Micheal is grateful that this process has come to a conclusion. He looks forward to getting back to doing the work he loves and focusing on the future.”

Ilyas added: “As he begins to rebuild his life, Micheal would like to recognize those who have suffered violence and sexual abuse. They deserve to be heard, treated with compassion and have their allegations taken seriously.”