Social media influencer #MuradMerali was removed from the rape trial of actor #MichaelWard after posting what a judge described as inappropriate videos about the ongoing case to his hundreds of thousands of followers.

The Top Boy star's trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court was temporarily paused after concerns were raised over a series of videos Merali shared while proceedings were still underway.

Merali, who has built an audience of more than half a million followers across YouTube and TikTok, reportedly approached members of Ward's family outside court and filmed videos within the courthouse grounds, potentially within earshot of jurors.

During the videos, he commented on evidence presented during the trial, discussed the cross-examination of the complainant by Ward's defence barrister and offered his own opinions on the woman's credibility, as well as the judge's handling of the case.

On July 3, Judge Rosa Dean confronted Merali in court, ordering him to delete the videos before instructing him to "leave the building." Court security then escorted the influencer out of the courthouse.

The matter was also referred to Attorney General Lord Richard Hermer KC for consideration of whether contempt of court proceedings should be brought against Merali.

In an additional measure aimed at protecting the fairness of the trial, the judge partially cleared the public gallery over concerns that influencers attending proceedings could continue publishing commentary online, potentially exposing jurors to opinions about the evidence before they had reached a verdict.

Ward was later found not guilty of two counts of rape, two counts of assault by penetration and one count of sexual assault after maintaining throughout the trial that the encounter had been consensual.

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