Blue singer Lee Ryan faces jail for racially abusing BA cabin crew while drunk on flight as he loses bid to clear name
BLUE singer Lee Ryan could face jail for racially abusing a black flight attendant in a drunken plane attack.
The Blue star, 43, sunk half a bottle of port and tucked into cheese in the BA lounge before boarding the flight at Glasgow.
Ryan previously avoided jail for racially aggravated common assault by beating, which carries a maximum seven-year jail term.
The singer was also convicted of behaving in an abusive way towards the cabin crew member and admitted being drunk on an aircraft.
He was handed a 12 month sentence suspended for 18 months at a sentencing hearing in September 2023.
But the singer’s punishment was rescinded pending a bid to overturn his conviction at Isleworth Crown Court.
A judge rejected that original appeal so Ryan instead took the case to the High Court.
Ryan could now face a jail term for his crimes after Lord Justice Holgate and Mr Justice Johnson rejected his claim and sent his case back to the crown court, which impose more serious punishments.
The court heard previously how Ryan left cabin crew worker Leah Gordon in tears after calling her a racial slur during the drunken plane attack.
The court was told he called her “beautiful” before grabbing her wrists and commenting on her “complexion”.
Ms Gordon said: “It felt like he was saying I was beautiful for a black person because of the way he was describing my colour.”
He was also “slurring his words and staggering around” as he asked: “Do you know who I am?”
Ryan claimed in his evidence he had no recollection of the flight other than an “annoying” a passenger next to him.
He said his actions were “playful” and denied being racist.
The singer added: “I’m sorry.
“My band member is black, I’m not racist, I’ve had black girlfriends, mixed-race girlfriends.
“It was banter, just drunk banter I suppose, there was no malice or intention to upset anyone.”
Ryan was arrested at London City Airport by armed cops following the attack on July 31 last year and spent the night in the cells.
He later told police he would give Ms Gordon Blue tickets for their next tour as an apology.
At an appeal at Isleworth Crown Court in November 2024, Ryan denied he had grabbed hold of the victim’s wrists.
He complained adverse inferences were drawn against him because his account about whether he took the woman’s wrists in his hands had changed between police interview and court.
Giving judgment, the judges said: “It was a case where the defendant had given one account at interview – an admission that he had grabbed Ms Gordon’s wrists, albeit without menace – but then gave an inconsistent account at trial – a denial that he had grabbed her wrists.
“His explanation for the inconsistency was rejected by the court.
“The central task for the crown court was to assess the reliability and credibility of the competing accounts given by Ms Gordon and Mr Ryan.
“In doing so, it was entitled to rely on the inconsistency between Mr Ryan’s account in interview, which coincided with Ms Gordon’s allegation that he had grabbed her wrists, and the account he gave in evidence.
“The essential reasoning of the court was that it believed Ms Gordon, who had been sober at the time and who was a consistent and compelling witness, and they disbelieved Mr Ryan, who had been drunk at the time and had been inconsistent. That was sufficient for the court to dismiss the appeal.
“It follows that the court was right to regard the application to state a case as frivolous. There is no error in its decision to decline to state a case.
“The claim is dismissed. Mr Ryan will therefore now be sentenced by the crown court.”
Ryan was arrested at London City Airport by armed cops following the attack on July 31 last year and spent the night in the cells.
He later told police he would give Ms Gordon Blue tickets for their next tour as an apology.
Ryan formed boy band Blue in 2000 with Antony Costa, Duncan James and Simon Webbe.
They have since sold 14million records and had three Number 1 albums.
Their biggest hits include songs All Rise, Too Close, One Love and U Make Me Wanna.