Blue’s Lee Ryan could face a new trial over assault charge

14 June, 2023

Lee Ryan of Blue performs at The O2 Arena on December 13, 2022 in London, England. Credit: Lorne Thomson / Getty

Blue‘s Lee Ryan could be faced with a new trial regarding his incident on a British Airways flight last summer.

Ryan successfully applied to withdraw his guilty plea for assaulting a police officer after sharing that he only entered that plea following advice from his solicitor at the time. As BBC reports, Deputy chief magistrate Tan Ikram ruled there was “real doubt” whether Ryan had made an informed admission of guilt or was following instructions.

A decision on whether or not he will face a new trial over the alleged assault will be made at a fresh hearing in July.

Blue perform onstage during HITS Radio Live Birmingham at Resorts World Arena on November 11, 2022. Credit: Dominic Lipinski/Getty

At his hearing in January, Ryan pled guilty to the assault charge after following the advice his solicitor, Mike Rainford, gave him at the time.

On his hearing on Tuesday, June 13, It was revealed by his new solicitor, Keima Payton, that Ryan has an autistic spectrum disorder. The Blue member also has “slow processing skills” leading to “impairments in understanding what is said to him” according to a psychological report that was done.

Payton told the court that Ryan was sent text messages by his previous solicitor on the day of the hearing in January that showed Ryan was made to feel like he “had to” plead guilty, “even though he (the police officer) had me by the neck”. She added that body-cam footage may have helped Ryan claim self-defense but it was not presented to him in time before his court appearance making him unable to properly consider it.

Lee Ryan of Blue performs during The Paul Strank Charity Summer Party at Opium on July 11, 2019. Credit: Dave J Hogan/Getty

Speaking about his previous solicitor, Ryan told the court: “I found him quite dismissive and rude, quite condescending.” According to Ryan, he had also assured him that the charge would be dropped before the next hearing. Ryan added that his solicitor made him feel like he had “no choice” but to plead guilty adding:”I asked him if there was more time because it felt so rushed, and he said there was no time. It had become very clear that he either didn’t care or just wasn’t prepared.”

Deputy chief magistrate Ikram said: “There is a feature of this case that makes it slightly different. Mr Ryan was diagnosed with ADHD. He has subsequently been diagnosed with Asperger’s. One of the challenges that people with high-functioning autism can have is slow processing of information and responding inappropriately to what is said.”

He continued: “Mr Ryan was advised. He received that advice as an instruction. In these circumstances I am in real doubt as to whether it was an informed admission of guilt or a following of instructions.”

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