Blue star Lee Ryan could face fresh sentencing after High Court judges rejected his latest bid to overturn convictions linked to a 2022 British Airways flight incident.
As reported by The Sun, the 43-year-old singer avoided jail in 2023. But judges later set aside that suspended sentence while he challenged the ruling.
Now the case reportedly returns to the crown court.
Why Blue star Lee Ryan is back in court again
In January 2023, Ryan was found guilty of racially aggravated common assault by beating and behaving in an abusive way towards the cabin crew member.
He also admitted being drunk on an aircraft. In September 2023, he was handed a 12-month suspended prison sentence.
Ryan challenged the conviction at Isleworth Crown Court. A judge rejected that appeal.
He then took the case to the High Court. Lord Justice Holgate and Mr Justice Johnson have now rejected his claim too.
The judges said the crown court had every right to prefer the evidence of the cabin crew worker. They also pointed to inconsistencies in Ryan’s account.
They said: “The essential reasoning of the court was that it believed [the crew member], 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.”
The judges added: “The claim is dismissed. Mr Ryan will therefore now be sentenced by the crown court.”
The crown court will now decide what comes next.
What the court heard about the flight row
A court previously heard Ryan had been drinking before boarding the flight from Glasgow.
The crew member told the court that Ryan left her in tears during the incident. She said he called her “beautiful” before grabbing her wrists and commenting on her “complexion”.
As reported by the BBC, she said: “It felt like he was saying I was beautiful for a black person because of the way he was describing my colour.”
She went on to say that Ryan later approached her from behind, telling her: “Before I get off this plane I need a kiss from you.
“He was towering over me, like he was leaning in to give me a kiss. He said to me ‘I want your chocolate children.'”
As he gave evidence, Ryan claimed he had little memory of the flight apart from an “annoying” passenger beside him.
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He described his behaviour as “playful”. He also told the court: “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.
“I didn’t mean to cause any distress to anyone or be racist, it was just a poor choice of words I suppose.”
ED! has contacted representatives for Lee Ryan for comment.