Darcy Ward Not Guilty: History of the Case and Jury Ruling
Defence: “Drunk consent is nonetheless consent”
Brisbane-born Darcy Ward, 20, an international speedway personality, has been found not guilty by a British jury that heard a young woman’s sex assault case against him and his friend.
Ward, a Poole Pirates star, has won world under-21 champion twice. Both he and his co-accused friend has been cleared by the jury. Below is the history of the case heard by the Bournemouth Crown Court:
- Ward and a male younger friend were in Dorset, England for a speedway meeting between Poole Pirates and Birmingham Brummies on August 17 last year. After the meeting, the two of them went to the room of the complainant at the Premier Inn hotel in Poole.
- Ward’s friend and co-accused is a 17-year-old male from Swindon, UK. He remained unnamed in the media for legal reasons.
- The complainant had travelled from the Midlands to Dorset with a friend, but her friend was out during the time of the alleged sexual assault. The friend came back later that night and had found blood on the scene. The complainant was then rushed to the hospital. Soon after that, Ward and his friend were arrested.
- Kerry Maylin of the prosecution said her client had drunk various ciders, a pint of vodka and lemonade, cola cube shots and Archers and a peach schnapps over an estimated period of three-and-a-half hours. She then noted Ward and his friend used a make-up tube and a vodka bottle in their sexual assaults.
- The court also heard there was a third man in the room and the alleged victim had sex with this man while Ward and his friend watched.
- The third man told the court he did not witness any of the alleged assaults but he and the two accused “panicked” when they saw blood. They ran away from the hotel.
- The prosecution said Ward’s friend had oral sex with the young woman and then he filmed Ward’s sexual encounter with the young woman using his phone.
- A jury of five women and seven men had seen the video, which showed the complainant in her underwear lying on a bed as Ward performed sexual acts upon her.
- Ward denied one charge of sexual assault, while his co-accused denied one charge of rape by penetration and three sexual assaults.
- Ward took the stand on Friday and told the court the complainant made him and his friends feel she was enjoying their sexual encounter.
- In his closing speech, Defence barrister Stewart Jones QC emphasized to the jury the alleged victim had not shown any struggle during the incident. He said the complainant had spoken only when she had to explain her behaviour. He said his client’s behavior may have been “uncouth,” but not criminal.
- “It may have been drunken consent but that does not matter,” the defence counsel said, noting, “Drunk consent is nonetheless consent.”