Blue singer Lee Ryan is set to make a final appeal to the Supreme Court after losing his latest bid to overturn a racially aggravated assault conviction.
Incident and Conviction
The incident occurred on a British Airways flight from Glasgow to London City Airport in July 2022. Ryan, 43, was said to have boarded the flight drunk after drinking a bottle of port. After being refused more alcohol and told to return to his seat, he allegedly made comments about flight attendant Leah Gordon's looks, calling her a "chocolate cookie" before grabbing her wrists.
Ryan was convicted of racially aggravated assault and behaving in an abusive way towards a cabin crew member. He received a 12-month suspended prison sentence at Isleworth Crown Court in September 2023.
Previous Appeals
Since then, Ryan has lost appeals at both the Crown Court and High Court. On Friday, barrister Thom Dyke announced that Ryan intends to make an "application for legal appeal to the Supreme Court," as reported by BBC News. The deadline for the application is believed to be August 11, and Ryan's legal team expects to receive an answer on a "point of law" within two months.
Ryan's initial appeal at the Crown Court was partially dismissed. A Crown Court judge later refused to send the case to the High Court, finding the application frivolous. Ryan then brought a separate legal challenge at the High Court, but in July, two judges dismissed his bid. Lord Justice Holgate and Mr Justice Johnson noted that Ryan's appeal against his convictions was heard in November 2023, with his sentence "rescinded" at the time. In November 2024, a judge and two magistrates granted Ryan's appeal over the conviction for threatening a member of aircraft crew, but dismissed the appeal over the assault conviction.
Next Steps
Ryan did not appear during the latest hearing at Isleworth Crown Court. If his Supreme Court appeal is unsuccessful, he will be sentenced again over the offence.
