Blue star cleared of assault charges

Pop star Lee Ryan was today cleared of assaulting two photographers as they tried to take photos of him leaving a trendy nightclub with a mystery girl.

However, the star of top boy band Blue was convicted of two counts of causing criminal damage after smashing the cameras of the two men, a district judge at Horseferry Road Magistrates’ Court found.

The singer was ordered to pay £300 (€446) compensation to freelance photographer David Abiaw and £200 (€297) compensation to photo agency Big Pictures for the damage to its equipment, which was being used by photographer Conor Nolan.

Ryan had hit out at the cameras in an incident outside the 10 Rooms nightclub off Piccadilly Circus in London in December last year after being crowded in by paparazzi.

Ryan, aged 20, of Vauxhall, south London, was accused of hitting a camera into the face of Mr Abiaw and punching Mr Nolan during the early hours of December 9 last year.

But District Judge Caroline Tubbs accepted the defence’s argument that he was acting in self-defence and dismissed the assault charges.

In a statement outside the court, Ryan’s solicitor Nick Freeman said: “He’s extremely relieved. We always said he had behaved reasonably and always disputed the assaults.

“That decision has been vindicated today. He wants to get on with his career and move forward.”

Ryan was then led to a waiting people carrier and left the court without comment.

However, his mother Sheila said she was pleased with the verdict.

She added: “He never disputed the fact he damaged the cameras but his circumstances were extenuating.

“He was protecting someone and that makes me very proud.

“He has handled himself with decorum and dignity throughout and I am proud.”

Miss Tubbs ordered that the compensation be paid within seven days but dismissed an application from the prosecution for Ryan to pay costs.

The two-day trial had heard Ryan left the celebrity hotspot around 3.30am with Tanya Mills, aged 23, a deaf girl he had met inside, along with friends.

He posed on two occasions for the waiting photographers before asking them to stop.

But the defence maintained the paparazzi were desperate to photograph him with Miss Mills as they had been spotted holding hands.

Mr Freeman described the photographers as acting like a “pack of wolves”.

In his closing speech today the solicitor said “the paparazzi were hungry, they were hungry for their feed.”

He added: “My client has experience with the paparazzi, he accepts and appreciates they have a useful role to fulfil.

“There is a mutual understanding and respect and there is a line or boundary which should not be crossed.

“I venture to suggest that on this particular occasion the line was crossed.

“Lee Ryan behaved in self-defence, seeking to defend another.”

Miss Tubbs said the defence had also raised the question of self-defence on the issue of criminal damage to the two cameras.

She said she accepted that Ryan was concerned for his and Miss Mills’ situation but added: “I do not find that his actions in breaking the cameras by a punch and kick was reasonable.”

Earlier today Ryan admitted in evidence that he had threatened to break the photographers’ cameras if they did not stop taking pictures.

In August last year, Ryan was banned from driving for 18 months and fined after being convicted of drink-driving.

He was found to be twice the legal limit while driving his Porsche in London on August 11.

Blue are currently one of the most successful boy bands with two number one albums, three number one singles and two Brit Awards.

One of their albums is called Guilty while their first single was called All Rise.