Blue singer Lee Ryan has charge of assaulting police officer by biting dropped after withdrawing guilty plea
12 July 2023, 16:26
Blue singer Lee Ryan has had charges dropped against him over claims he assaulted a police officer after a drunken incident on a flight.
Lee Ryan, 40, pleaded guilty to biting a police officer at a trial in January but the Blue singer later withdrew his plea, after he claimed he only did it because of “poor advice from his solicitor”.
On Wednesday at Westminster Magistrates’ Court the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) announced the assault by biting charges made against him had been dropped.
The court heard the boyband member boarded a British Airways flight in July last year after drinking a bottle of port.
He was later refused more alcohol on the flight and was instructed to return to his seat, at which point he told a black flight attendant "I want your chocolate children" and asked her to kiss him while drunk on the plane.
Police footage aftewards showed Ryan "snarling" and swearing after allegedly trying to bite a PC as officers tried to arrest him at the airport.
The singer was found guilty of racially aggravated common assault by beating and behaving in an abusive way towards the cabin crew member at Ealing Magistrates' court in January.
He also pleaded guilty to being drunk on an aircraft.
District judge Tan Ikram said at court on Wednesday: "The drunkenness is as serious as the charges he has been found guilty of."
Ryan will be sentenced for his other convictions at Isleworth Crown Court on a date to be confirmed.
It comes just days after the boyband singer and his fellow stars alleged the singer was injured on a flight from Georgia to Istanbul for putting his feed on the seats of a plane.
In a statement, the band said that Ryan "put his feet on the seat, which was considered culturally insensitive" and he had "apologised for any unknowing offence caused".
