Following an assault on a black British Airways flight attendant that was racially aggravating, Lee Ryan was given a sentence.
The Blue star, 40, was detained after a British Airways trip from Glasgow to London in July 2022 when he allegedly became intoxicated and assaulted a police officer.
The judge sentenced the All Rise singer to a 12-month prison term with a 12-month period of supervised release for assaulting a member of the cabin crew in a racially aggravating manner by hitting them.
Judge Nicholas Wood stated, “It seemed like a lifetime for everyone on that plane,” even though the incident only lasted 10 or 15 minutes, as he handed down his sentence at Isleworth Crown Court.
Ryan, who was intoxicated, grabbed the Black flight attendant by the wrists and said, “I want your chocolate children,” before attempting to kiss her. He also cursed at policemen as he was being held.
Ryan admitted to being intoxicated on the flight but had previously denied assault and acting abusively.
He was found guilty in January of this year of flying while intoxicated, biting a police officer, and racially aggravating a common assault by hitting and acting abusively toward a member of the cabin crew.
The charge for biting the officer, however, was reportedly dismissed lately.
Ryan apologized for his actions in court but argued he wasn’t being racist.
He cried as he stood up, referring to Simon Webbe, another member of the band Blue, and said, “I’m sorry.” I don’t practice racism, I have had Black and mixed-race boyfriends, and one of my band members is Black. There was no animosity or desire to offend anyone; it was just banter, perhaps just drunken banter.
‘I didn’t mean to upset anyone or be racist, it was just a poor choice of words,’ he continued.
The singer afterwards apologized for touching her but said that there was “no malice” in his remarks when he referred to her as a “chocolate chip cookie.” She admitted that he had only gently touched her.
He was making remarks about my complexion, such “You’re my chocolate darling, my chocolate cookie,” and “I’m going to have your chocolate children,” the flight attendant recalled while testifying in court.
Because of the way he described my color, she said, “I felt like he was saying I was beautiful for a Black person.”
The female crew member claimed Ryan approached her from behind and stated, “Before I get off this plane, I need a kiss from you.”
She claimed that while she begged him to “stay away,” he allegedly grabbed her by the wrists as he appeared to be “leaning in to give me a kiss.”
The music star, who became famous in the 2000s and has participated on Celebrity Big Brother, issued a statement on social media after the guilty decision stating that he had “struggles with alcohol” and it led him to “say or do silly things.”