Singer Lee Ryan, 43, lead singer of the band Blue, is set to be sentenced for racially aggravated assault and being drunk on an aircraft after his attempt to overturn his conviction was dismissed by the High Court. The conviction stems from an incident on a British Airways flight from Glasgow to London on July 31, 2022.
During the flight, Ryan made comments to a Black cabin crew member, Leah Gordon, describing her as a 'sweet chocolate chip cookie' and stating, 'I'll have your chocolate babies.' Gordon testified that Ryan also grabbed her wrists, leaned in as if to kiss her, and made further comments about her complexion and having children together. She reported feeling intimidated and that the comments were derogatory and unacceptable.
Ryan admitted to being drunk on the aircraft after being refused more alcohol and was told to return to his seat. He was convicted by magistrates in 2023 of racially aggravated assault and threatening a member of the aircraft crew. He also pleaded guilty to being drunk on an aircraft.
An initial appeal at Isleworth Crown Court in 2024 saw the conviction for threatening the crew member overturned, but the assault conviction was upheld. Ryan's subsequent effort to appeal to the High Court by asking the Crown Court to 'state a case' was rejected as 'frivolous' by the Crown Court judge. He then pursued a judicial review of the Crown Court's decision.
In their judgment, High Court judges Lord Justice Holgate and Mr Justice Johnson stated that the Crown Court was correct to deem Ryan's challenge frivolous. The judges noted that Ryan had initially admitted grabbing Ms. Gordon's wrists in a police interview, but later denied it in court, only admitting to touching her wrists as an apology. The court found Ms. Gordon to be a consistent and compelling witness, while Ryan, who had been drinking, was inconsistent. This assessment led the court to dismiss Ryan's appeal.
The High Court's decision means Ryan's case will now return to the Crown Court for sentencing.