Lee Ryan handed sentence for racially abusing and assaulting BA flight attendant
Lee Ryan has been given a 12 month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, at Isleworth Crown Court, west London, today following a drunken incident on a flight last year.
Mr Ryan was accompanied by a brunette woman as he made his way inside court ahead of his sentencing earlier this morning. Dressed in a white shirt and navy blue trousers, the Celebs Go Dating star attempted to keep a low profile as he covered his face from photographers with his blazer.
He had earlier pleaded guilty to being drunk on an aircraft, for which he was handed a four-month jail term to run concurrently. As he sentenced him at Isleworth Crown Court, Judge Nicholas Wood said while the incident only lasted 10 or 15 minutes: “It seemed like a lifetime for everybody on that plane.”
The Blue singer, 40, pleaded guilty earlier this year to being being drunk on an aircraft, racially aggravated common assault by beating and behaving in an abusive way towards a cabin crew member last year.
Mr Ryan has boarded a British Airways flight from Glasgow to London City Airport after drinking a bottle of port in July last year.. When the Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word hitmaker was refused more alcohol on board the plane and told to return to his seat, Mr Ryan made comments about attendant Leah Gordon’s looks. A court heard earlier this year how he called her "my chocolate cookie", said she could have their "chocolate children" and grabbed her wrists.
Lee Ryan sorry for missing fans' messages ahead of sentencing for racial abuse
Lee Ryan has been handed a 12 month suspended prison sentence (Getty Images)
Leah Gordon, the British Airways air stewardess who was racially abused by the popstar (Nicholas Razzell)In January this year, Ryan was found guilty at Ealing Magistrates' Court of racially aggravated common assault by beating and behaving in an abusive way towards the cabin crew member. He had earlier pleaded guilty to being drunk on an aircraft. On July 12, Mr Ryan had a charge against him dropped over a claim the pop star assaulted a police officer during the incident last year.
Mr Ryan had originally plead guilty to assaulting the officer in question - but then won the right to withdraw his guilty plea. Mr Ryan was arrested upon landing in July last year - where he allegedly tried to bite Police Constable Bryett and was subsequently charged with assaulting a police officer.
At Westminster Magistrates’ Court on July 12, Mr Ryan was told prosecutors had dropped the charge of assault by biting. The singer had previously pleaded guilty to the offence. However, the Crown Prosecution Service dropped the charge after Mr Ryan successfully withdrew the guilty plea in June, saying he had been given "poor advice from his solicitor".
Mr Ryan told the court he regretted following the advice of his solicitor Mike Rainford to plead guilty to assaulting the police officer. The Fly By singer told Westminster Magistrates’ Court in June: "I asked him if there was more time because it felt so rushed, and he said there was no time.
The Blue singer arriving at court this morning ahead of his sentencing (PA)
The singer attempted to avoid being pictured as he made his way inside (PA)"It had become very clear that he either didn’t care or just wasn’t prepared. I realised Mike wasn’t great. He wasn’t doing his job properly – there were warning signs." Mr Ryan also told the court he felt he was "being made to do it" when he entered his guilty plea to assaulting a police officer.
The court found in his favour, with deputy chief magistrate Tan Ikram telling Lee and the court: “There is a feature of this case that makes it slightly different. Mr Ryan was diagnosed with ADHD. He has subsequently been diagnosed with Asperger’s. One of the challenges that people with high-functioning autism can have is slow processing of information and responding inappropriately to what is said.
"Mr Ryan was advised. He received that advice as an instruction. In these circumstances I am in real doubt as to whether it was an informed admission of guilt or a following of instructions. It would be unjust not to allow him to withdraw his guilty plea."
"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," Mr Ryan previously told a court. "I didn't mean to cause any distress to anyone or be racist, it was just a poor choice of words I suppose."
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