Blue singer Lee Ryan has been found guilty of a racially aggravated assault on a British Airways air hostess while drunk on a plane.
The 39 year-old told the flight attendant, who is black, “I want your chocolate children” on a flight from Glasgow to London on 31 July last year.
Jurors at Ealing Magistrates’ Court heard the singer was "slurring his words and staggering around" after drinking a whole bottle of port before the delayed flight.
After being refused more alcohol on the plane and told to return to his seat, Ryan made comments about Leah Gordon’s looks, calling her a "chocolate cookie" before grabbing her wrists, the court heard.
He was accused of being drunk on an aircraft, assaulting a police officer, racially aggravated common assault by beating and behaving in an abusive way towards the cabin crew member.
Ms Gordon told the court on Thursday Ryan initially called her “beautiful” and put his sunglasses on her face.
“He was making comments about my complexion, you’re my chocolate darling, my chocolate cookie, and I’m going to have your chocolate children,” she said. “It felt like he was saying I was beautiful for a black person because of the way he was describing my colour.”
Ms Gordon said Ryan later approached her from behind, saying: “Before I get off this plane I need a kiss from you.”
After telling him to “stay away”, she said he grabbed both her wrists before passengers intervened.
“He was towering over me, like he was leaning in to give me a kiss,” Ms Gordon told the court: “I was intimidated, I felt a bit embarrassed like I wasn’t doing my duty properly.
“To get comments about my colour whether intentional or not, it was just unacceptable and so derogatory.
“I just felt like it wasn’t fair and I shouldn’t have to put up with it. I don’t go to work to be assaulted or harassed.”
Ryan later told police officers in an interview read to the court: “I wish I could ring her up and apologise and offer her some Blue tickets for the next tour.”
The singer, who was tearful in the dock before giving evidence, said he drank a whole bottle of port and ate cheese in the BA lounge before getting on board.
He told the court of “annoying” a passenger next to him by asking what book he was reading, with no recollection of what occurred after that.
The pop star went on: “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.
“I didn’t mean to cause any distress to anyone or be racist, it was just a poor choice of words I suppose.”
Ryan told the court his actions were merely “playful” and denied the use of the word chocolate was racist.
He also claimed to have said “chocolate chip cookie”, adding: “They’re white, there was no malice in them (the comments).”
He added: “I am sorry that I touched her, but that’s all I did, touch her lightly, by her admission.”
In a police interview, he was accused of trying to bite one of the officers after being arrested at the London airport, to which he replied: “I don’t remember that.”
Another flight attendant, who also gave evidence in court, said she was approached by Ryan shortly after the plane departed.
Jade Smith said: “He told me he had a problem, that he was being harassed by other passengers, that he was famous and asked did I know who he was.”
Ryan asked to be upgraded from economy to business class but was refused as the plane was full, it was said.
She said: “He was angry, saying he was a gold card holder and that he needed to be moved because of this.”
She noticed Ryan was “slurring his words and staggering around” and cut him off from ordering alcohol, it was alleged.
Ryan followed her to the back of the plane and asked for another drink but was refused, she said. He told her “stop being boring, let’s have a drink”, the court heard.
He will be sentenced at a later date.
