A British pop singer has failed to overturn his conviction for a racially aggravated assault on a cabin crew member aboard a domestic flight, after two senior judges rejected his legal challenge on Monday.
Lee Ryan, 43, a member of the boy band Blue, consumed an entire bottle of port before boarding a British Airways service from Glasgow to London City Airport on 31 July 2022. After being refused further alcohol, he directed remarks at flight attendant Leah Gordon about her appearance, referring to her as a "chocolate cookie" and gripping her wrists, according to court proceedings.
Ryan was found guilty of racially aggravated assault and admitted to being drunk on an aircraft, receiving a 12-month suspended prison sentence at Isleworth Crown Court in September 2023. Lord Justice Holgate and Mr Justice Johnson dismissed his High Court appeal on 14 July 2026, upholding the conviction.