Blue Singer Lee Ryan Receives Suspended Prison Sentence For Racially Aggravated Assault

Pop singer Lee Ryan has been given a suspended prison sentence after being found guilty of racially aggravated assault.

During a flight on 31 July 2022, the Blue star was said to have been “slurring his words and staggering around” after drinking a whole bottle of port before a British Airways flight from Glasgow to London City Airport.

Ryan was refused more alcohol on board the plane, and after being told to return to his seat, made comments about cabin crew member Leah Gordon, referring to her as a “chocolate cookie” before grabbing her wrists.

Earlier this year, Gordon recalled: “He was making comments about my complexion, you’re my chocolate darling, my chocolate cookie, and I’m going to have your chocolate children.”

She added: “I was intimidated, I felt a bit embarrassed like I wasn’t doing my duty properly.

“To get comments about my colour whether intentional or not, it was just unacceptable and so derogatory. I just felt like it wasn’t fair and I shouldn’t have to put up with it. I don’t go to work to be assaulted or harassed.”

Ryan was found guilty in January, and on Thursday morning, he was given a prison sentence of 12 months suspended for 18 months, for what Judge Nicholas Wood described as his “totally unacceptable and disgraceful” crimes.

″[That] may be the sort of language used in the entertainment industry, but that is somewhat of an indictment on the entertainment industry and it has no place on an aircraft, being directed at cabin crew,” the judge told Ryan.

“You know that and I think you have learned your lesson.”

“If any good could come out of this, it has brought you to your senses”, he added.

The former Celebrity Big Brother and Strictly Come Dancing contestant was also ordered to pay £2,500 in compensation to the cabin crew member in question, £750 to other members of the team and £510 in legal costs.

Ryan has said he has no memory of the incident due to the amount of alcohol he had consumed.

He previously argued: “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.”