Lee Ryan Sentenced After High Court Rejects Appeal Over Racially Aggravated Assault

The High Court has dismissed former Blue frontman Lee Ryan’s bid to overturn his racially aggravated assault conviction, sending the case back to Isleworth Crown Court for sentencing. Judges Lord Justice Holgate and Mr Justice Johnson ruled that the Crown Court was correct in describing Ryan’s application to “state a case” as “frivolous” and found no error in its refusal to grant a further appeal. Consequently, Ryan will now be sentenced for the July 31 2022 incident on a Glasgow-to-London British Airways flight.

The Independent

Ryan was first convicted by magistrates in 2023 of racially aggravated assault after admitting he was drunk on the aircraft and acknowledging that he had touched a Black cabin crew member, Ms Gordon, during the flight. A suspended sentence was initially imposed but was later rescinded when Ryan sought to overturn the conviction. An appeal at Isleworth Crown Court in November 2024 was rejected, prompting Ryan to apply to the High Court for a judicial review of the Crown Court’s refusal to “state a case.” The High Court upheld the lower court’s decision, leaving the original conviction intact.

The Independent

The judges emphasized that Ryan gave conflicting accounts: an interview in which he admitted grabbing Ms Gordon’s wrists matched the steward’s testimony, followed by a trial statement denying the grab. They judged Ms Gordon’s evidence “consistent and compelling” while finding Ryan’s testimony “inconsistent” and compromised by intoxication. The court concluded that the Crown Court was entitled to rely on these credibility assessments in dismissing the appeal.

The Independent

• “During the flight, he spoke to a member of the aircraft’s cabin staff, Ms Gordon, who is a Black woman,” — Lord Justice Holgate & Mr Justice Johnson

The Independent

• “He said she was pretty and like a 'sweet chocolate chip cookie'.” — High Court judgment

The Independent

• “He admitted touching her wrists with an open palm and said that was by way of an apology when he realised that his comments were unwelcome,” — Judges’ summary

The Independent

• “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.” — Lord Justice Holgate & Mr Justice Johnson

The Independent