Blue star Lee Ryan joked that his day in court was ‘terrific’ after dodging jail following his racially aggravated assault on a black British Airways flight attendant whom he told: ‘I want your chocolate children.’

Ryan, 40, was handed a 12-month suspended prison sentence after attacking Leah Gordon and behaving in an abusive way towards her on July 31 last year, having earlier pleaded guilty to being drunk on an aircraft, for which he was handed a four-month jail term to run concurrently. 

Asked by reporters outside Isleworth Crown Court how the hearing went, Ryan replied: ‘Oh, it was terrific, thank you very much.’

Passing sentence at Isleworth Crown Court, His Honour Judge Nicholas Wood told Ryan that he was fortunate to avoid an immediate custodial sentence – adding that the term was being suspended because of the remorse he had shown and because of the singer’s psychological condition.

The judge told Ryan: ‘You brought shame on yourself for this. I think you are aware of that.’

Blue singer Lee Ryan has walked free from court after handed a suspended sentence for his racially aggravated assault on a British Airways flight attendant

The All Rise singer has been ordered to pay compensation to two flight attendants – including one he referred to as a ‘chocolate cookie’ 

Ryan covered his face as he walked into Isleworth Crown Court to be sentenced on Thursday

Leah Gordon (above) was a flight attendant on Ryan’s plane in July last year. The Blue singer called her a ‘chocolate cookie’ before grabbing her wrists

He added: ‘The language you used may be acceptable in the entertainment industry, but it has no place on an aircraft being directed by cabin crew.’

Alongside the suspended sentence, Ryan was ordered to pay £2,500 compensation to Ms Gordon plus £750 to her colleague within three months.

One Love singer Ryan covered his face with his suit jacket as he approached the entrance of Isleworth Crown Court in west London on Thursday morning.

He had been described as ‘slurring his words and staggering around’ after downing an entire bottle of port in a lounge at Glasgow Airport before his flight to London City on July 31 last year.

After he was refused more alcohol on the plane and told to return to his seat, Ryan Ryan had approached Ms Gordon from behind, saying he needed a kiss from her before he got off the plane.

He made comments about Ms Gordon’s looks, calling her a ‘chocolate cookie’ before grabbing her wrists.

Police footage showed Ryan ‘snarling’ and swearing at officers. The incident came just months after Ryan, 39, married Verity Paris, a singer who appeared on The X Factor in 2009.

Sentencing Ryan, Judge Wood added: ‘You caused more than minor psychological distress to Ms Gordon. It was your decision and your decision alone to get drunk.’

Footage emerged of the moment Ryan was removed from the British Airways flight at London City Airport by armed police before being arrested

Lee Ryan was seen gathering his belongings as police escorted him off the plane at London City Airport in July last year

But explaining his reasons for not handing Ryan a custodial sentence, the judge said he was swayed by a number of psychological reports which detailed the singer’s mental condition.

These showed that he has been diagnosed with Autistic Spectrum Disorder; Post Traumatic Stress Disorder; Dyslexia; ADHD and also struggles with alcohol abuse.

A psychologist also claimed that Ryan was prone to risky behaviour and also had a lack of insight about how to deal with ‘personal dynamics.’

Judge Wood said: ‘If he (Ryan) didn’t have these (disorders) he would have been better able to interpret the situation that he should not have boarded a plan drunkenly.

‘Suffering from these impairments and disorders has reduced your culpability.’

The judge said that he had also hand Ryan a suspended sentence because he believed that the incident had ‘brought him to his senses.’

He added: ‘I believe that no further offending is likely to take place from you, this has brought you to your senses. It’s a shame that it was in such serious circumstances and that you caused such grief to those on the plane.’

The judge added that while the incident only lasted 10 or 15 minutes: ‘It seemed like a lifetime for everybody on that plane.’ 

Ryan appeared relieved as he left the dock and exited the court. He was accompanied by his mother Sheila.

The judge said that he also took into account Ryan’s domestic situation, which also led to him imposing a suspended sentence and that he had a third child on the way.

The singer was ‘slurring his words and staggering around’ on the British Airways flight last July

The singer spoke with police officers after he was taken off the plane

Ryan’s trial heard details of how the singer made degrading comments towards staff and claimed to have been ‘harassed’ by other travellers. 

Flight attendant Jade Smith said during the proceedings: ‘He told me he was being harassed by other passengers, that he was famous and asked did I know who he was.’ 

Ms Gordon told Ealing Magistrates’ Court that Ryan initially called her ‘beautiful’ and put his sunglasses on her face. She said: ‘He was making comments about my complexion, ‘you’re my chocolate darling, my chocolate cookie, and I’m going to have your chocolate children’.’

Ryan, who was tearful in the dock before giving evidence, told the court his actions were merely ‘playful’ and denied use of the word chocolate was racist. 

He 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.’

She went on: ‘It felt like he was saying I was beautiful for a black person because of the way he was describing my colour.’

The bench at Ealing Magistrates’ Court found the ‘racially aggravated element was proved’, with chair Mr Badral saying: ‘We believe the language was demeaning and derogatory. We cannot accept the choice of the wording was simple banter.’

In video footage of the arrest at the London airport, played in court, Ryan could be seen crying on the floor and repeatedly saying ‘I’ve done nothing wrong’.

He was also warned several times by PC Bryett to stop trying to bite him.

Luke Bowyer, prosecuting, said Ryan was ‘snarling’ at officers before ‘sobbing uncontrollably’.

He also told the court: ‘You’ve got a celebrity who believes he is entitled to harassing a woman.’

Writing on the band’s Instagram account following the incident, the singer revealed he would be ‘seeking professional help’ for his mental health and will ‘take ownership’

Ryan downed an entire bottle of port in the British Airways lounge at Glasgow Airport before boarding the London City flight and trying to order more alcohol

Ryan formed boy band Blue in 2000 with Antony Costa, Duncan James and Simon Webbe. The group has sold some 14million records and had three Number 1 albums. 

Blue rounded off their latest UK tour, Heart and Soul, just before Christmas. Their biggest hits include All Rise, One Love and Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word.

Last year Ryan married Verity Paris, a singer thought to be 32 who appeared on The X Factor in 2009 and now impersonates artists such as Ariana Grande, Jessie J, Lady Gaga and Christina Aguilera – but who stays away from the spotlight. 

Ryan has four children – two teenagers with former partners Jessica Keevil and Samantha Miller and has two younger children, including a baby, with Ms Paris, with whom he is expecting a fifth child.

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.

She said: ‘He was towering over me, like he was leaning in to give me a kiss.

‘He said to me ‘I want your chocolate children’.’

She added: ‘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.’

Lee Ryan is best known for being a member of boyband Blue alongside Duncan James, Simon Webbe and Anthony Costa

He later told the court that he had no recollection of the incident and insisted: ‘I’m not racist’

Ryan, who was tearful in the dock before giving evidence, said he drank a whole bottle of port and ate cheese in the BA lounge after the flight was delayed.

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.’

He added: ‘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.’

He 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.’

Police said Lee tried to bite one of the officers after being arrested at the London airport, to which he replied: ‘I don’t remember that.’

Ryan asked to be upgraded from economy to business class but was refused as the plane was full, it was said.

Ms Smith 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, the court heard.

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.