Rachel Morgan reports from the High Court in London: Lee Ryan's high-profile bid to overturn his conviction for racially aggravated assault has been dealt a crushing blow as judges ruled that there was no grounds for an appeal. The Blue singer, 43, had consumed a bottle of port before a British Airways flight from Glasgow to London City Airport in July 2022, leading to him becoming intoxicated and unsteady.
As he made his way through the cabin, Ryan is alleged to have made lewd comments about a female flight attendant's appearance, including calling her a "chocolate cookie." He was also reported to have grabbed her wrists during an altercation. A court previously heard that Ryan had initially denied any wrongdoing in police interviews but later admitted to touching Ms Gordon's wrists.
The singer was found guilty of racially aggravated common assault and abusive behaviour towards the crew member at Ealing Magistrates' Court in January 2023, receiving a suspended prison sentence at Isleworth Crown Court in September 2023. His appeal against these convictions, however, was partially dismissed by a Crown Court judge, who deemed his application to refer the case to the High Court as "frivolous."
Undeterred, Ryan's legal team pursued a separate challenge at the High Court against this refusal. However, on Tuesday, judges Lord Justice Holgate and Mr Justice Johnson delivered their verdict, upholding the earlier decision and dismissing Ryan's application.
The High Court judges noted that an inconsistency in Ryan's testimony regarding whether he had grabbed or merely touched Ms Gordon's wrists was a critical factor in their ruling. They stated that the Crown Court judge was entitled to rely on this discrepancy when assessing credibility, particularly given the contrasting accounts of sober and consistent witness Leah Gordon against Ryan, who was intoxicated at the time.
The court highlighted an earlier case where Ryan had successfully appealed his conviction for threatening a crew member, but the assault conviction stood. The High Court's dismissal leaves Ryan facing the possibility of resentencing in relation to this conviction.