This just in from the BBC website:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/newsid_1883000/1883523.stm
"CAPTAIN" CLASHED WITH R.E.M. ROCKER
Wednesday March 20, 2002
A British Airways captain considered diverting a jumbo 747 after REM guitarist Peter Buck tore up a "yellow card" warning him to behave, a court has heard. Captain Tom Payne described how Mr Buck wrought havoc on the Seattle-to-Heathrow flight and mocked efforts to bring him under control.
The captain decided to issue a warning card amid allegations that a crew member had been assaulted, a hostess trolley overturned, and a knife confiscated from Mr Buck.
Mr Buck denies one charge of being drunk on an aircraft last April, two counts of common assault involving cabin services director Mario Agius and stewardess Holly Ward, and one charge of damaging British Airways crockery.
Mr Payne told west London's Isleworth Crown Court: "I had a conversation with the crew to decide the best course of events at that time, taking into account where we were over the ocean and how long we had to fly."
"We could divert to the nearest airport, drop him off or press on and call the police.
"I decided to press on."
Mr Buck was arrested when police boarded the plane shortly after touchdown.
Mr Payne said the 45-year-old's actions had created mayhem on the 10-hour flight.
Midway through the journey, the captain entered the first-class cabin to find him arguing with Mr Agius in the galley.
"He had a bottle of wine in his hand," Mr Payne told the court.
"Mr Agius said he could not have it and there was an altercation where Mr Agius took it from him."
As Mr Buck's behaviour continued to worsen, the captain presented him with a so-called "yellow card" warning him to behave.
"But when I served the document he took it, tore it into pieces and dropped them on the floor," Mr Payne said
"It was as though what I had done was irrelevant.
"He was just standing there in front of me with very little expression, trying to ignore me, as if I had not done anything."
Other witnesses said earlier that Mr Buck had sworn at Mr Payne, saying: "You are just a captain and I am REM."
But the captain said he had been unable to understand the insult because the star's speech was so slurred.
"He sounded like someone from Texas in America - with a very slow drawl," Mr Payne told the jury.
Here is a follow-up report from ANNANOVA News:
http://www.annanova.com
ROCK STAR "REMEMBERS NOTHING" OF AIR-RAGE INCIDENT
March 20, 2002
Peter Buck has told a jury he has no recollection of allegedly going on the rampage 35,000 feet above the Atlantic.
The 45-year-old REM guitarist is accused of assaulting two British Airways cabin crew.
He said one of his last memories was downing a sleeping tablet with a glass of wine over America before waking up in an English jail.
"I recall... there were bright lights overhead. I wasn't really awake. I had this fear I had had a heart attack and was in a weird hospital in Disneyland. I don't mean I was seeing characters or anything like that. I was just struggling to get conscious," he told London's Isleworth Crown Court.
But when he eventually realised he was in a police cell at Heathrow airport, he was "horrified... it was like something out of a novel. I can't begin to describe the feelings I had."
He said although he could not remember having his fingerprints taken, he could recall looking at the inked tips afterwards and experiencing a sense of "terror". And when he learnt what he was supposed to have done, he was overcome with shame.
"To me it was just incomprehensible... I have never been in trouble before... I will go miles away to avoid confrontation. I really don't like it."
The court has heard Buck, who said he could only remember having at most three and a half glasses of wine before and during the flight, had actually had up to 15 top-ups during the early stages of the Seattle to Heathrow flight last April before being refused further alcohol.
Cabin staff aboard the 747 have spoken of him attacking two of their number during what the Crown has branded hours of "drunken loutish behaviour", "splattering" them with yoghurt, and then trying to load a CD into a hostess trolley before upending it and sending a cascade of crockery and food across the floor.
Buck, who lives with his wife and seven-year-old twin daughters in Seattle, denies one charge of being drunk on the aircraft, two counts of common assault involving cabin services director Mario Agius and stewardess Holly Ward, and one charge of damaging British Airways crockery.
Peter Buck's Air-Rage Incident - He's a crockery smasher!!
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This just in from the BBC website:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/newsid_1883000/1883523.stm
"CAPTAIN" CLASHED WITH R.E.M. ROCKER
Wednesday March 20, 2002
A British Airways captain considered diverting a jumbo 747 after REM guitarist Peter Buck tore up a "yellow card" warning him to behave, a court has heard. Captain Tom Payne described how Mr Buck wrought havoc on the Seattle-to-Heathrow flight and mocked efforts to bring him under control.
The captain decided to issue a warning card amid allegations that a crew member had been assaulted, a hostess trolley overturned, and a knife confiscated from Mr Buck.
Mr Buck denies one charge of being drunk on an aircraft last April, two counts of common assault involving cabin services director Mario Agius and stewardess Holly Ward, and one charge of damaging British Airways crockery.
Mr Payne told west London's Isleworth Crown Court: "I had a conversation with the crew to decide the best course of events at that time, taking into account where we were over the ocean and how long we had to fly."
"We could divert to the nearest airport, drop him off or press on and call the police.
"I decided to press on."
Mr Buck was arrested when police boarded the plane shortly after touchdown.
Mr Payne said the 45-year-old's actions had created mayhem on the 10-hour flight.
Midway through the journey, the captain entered the first-class cabin to find him arguing with Mr Agius in the galley.
"He had a bottle of wine in his hand," Mr Payne told the court.
"Mr Agius said he could not have it and there was an altercation where Mr Agius took it from him."
As Mr Buck's behaviour continued to worsen, the captain presented him with a so-called "yellow card" warning him to behave.
"But when I served the document he took it, tore it into pieces and dropped them on the floor," Mr Payne said
"It was as though what I had done was irrelevant.
"He was just standing there in front of me with very little expression, trying to ignore me, as if I had not done anything."
Other witnesses said earlier that Mr Buck had sworn at Mr Payne, saying: "You are just a captain and I am REM."
But the captain said he had been unable to understand the insult because the star's speech was so slurred.
"He sounded like someone from Texas in America - with a very slow drawl," Mr Payne told the jury.
Here is a follow-up report from ANNANOVA News:
http://www.annanova.com
ROCK STAR "REMEMBERS NOTHING" OF AIR-RAGE INCIDENT
March 20, 2002
Peter Buck has told a jury he has no recollection of allegedly going on the rampage 35,000 feet above the Atlantic.
The 45-year-old REM guitarist is accused of assaulting two British Airways cabin crew.
He said one of his last memories was downing a sleeping tablet with a glass of wine over America before waking up in an English jail.
"I recall... there were bright lights overhead. I wasn't really awake. I had this fear I had had a heart attack and was in a weird hospital in Disneyland. I don't mean I was seeing characters or anything like that. I was just struggling to get conscious," he told London's Isleworth Crown Court.
But when he eventually realised he was in a police cell at Heathrow airport, he was "horrified... it was like something out of a novel. I can't begin to describe the feelings I had."
He said although he could not remember having his fingerprints taken, he could recall looking at the inked tips afterwards and experiencing a sense of "terror". And when he learnt what he was supposed to have done, he was overcome with shame.
"To me it was just incomprehensible... I have never been in trouble before... I will go miles away to avoid confrontation. I really don't like it."
The court has heard Buck, who said he could only remember having at most three and a half glasses of wine before and during the flight, had actually had up to 15 top-ups during the early stages of the Seattle to Heathrow flight last April before being refused further alcohol.
Cabin staff aboard the 747 have spoken of him attacking two of their number during what the Crown has branded hours of "drunken loutish behaviour", "splattering" them with yoghurt, and then trying to load a CD into a hostess trolley before upending it and sending a cascade of crockery and food across the floor.
Buck, who lives with his wife and seven-year-old twin daughters in Seattle, denies one charge of being drunk on the aircraft, two counts of common assault involving cabin services director Mario Agius and stewardess Holly Ward, and one charge of damaging British Airways crockery.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/newsid_1883000/1883523.stm
"CAPTAIN" CLASHED WITH R.E.M. ROCKER
Wednesday March 20, 2002
A British Airways captain considered diverting a jumbo 747 after REM guitarist Peter Buck tore up a "yellow card" warning him to behave, a court has heard. Captain Tom Payne described how Mr Buck wrought havoc on the Seattle-to-Heathrow flight and mocked efforts to bring him under control.
The captain decided to issue a warning card amid allegations that a crew member had been assaulted, a hostess trolley overturned, and a knife confiscated from Mr Buck.
Mr Buck denies one charge of being drunk on an aircraft last April, two counts of common assault involving cabin services director Mario Agius and stewardess Holly Ward, and one charge of damaging British Airways crockery.
Mr Payne told west London's Isleworth Crown Court: "I had a conversation with the crew to decide the best course of events at that time, taking into account where we were over the ocean and how long we had to fly."
"We could divert to the nearest airport, drop him off or press on and call the police.
"I decided to press on."
Mr Buck was arrested when police boarded the plane shortly after touchdown.
Mr Payne said the 45-year-old's actions had created mayhem on the 10-hour flight.
Midway through the journey, the captain entered the first-class cabin to find him arguing with Mr Agius in the galley.
"He had a bottle of wine in his hand," Mr Payne told the court.
"Mr Agius said he could not have it and there was an altercation where Mr Agius took it from him."
As Mr Buck's behaviour continued to worsen, the captain presented him with a so-called "yellow card" warning him to behave.
"But when I served the document he took it, tore it into pieces and dropped them on the floor," Mr Payne said
"It was as though what I had done was irrelevant.
"He was just standing there in front of me with very little expression, trying to ignore me, as if I had not done anything."
Other witnesses said earlier that Mr Buck had sworn at Mr Payne, saying: "You are just a captain and I am REM."
But the captain said he had been unable to understand the insult because the star's speech was so slurred.
"He sounded like someone from Texas in America - with a very slow drawl," Mr Payne told the jury.
Here is a follow-up report from ANNANOVA News:
http://www.annanova.com
ROCK STAR "REMEMBERS NOTHING" OF AIR-RAGE INCIDENT
March 20, 2002
Peter Buck has told a jury he has no recollection of allegedly going on the rampage 35,000 feet above the Atlantic.
The 45-year-old REM guitarist is accused of assaulting two British Airways cabin crew.
He said one of his last memories was downing a sleeping tablet with a glass of wine over America before waking up in an English jail.
"I recall... there were bright lights overhead. I wasn't really awake. I had this fear I had had a heart attack and was in a weird hospital in Disneyland. I don't mean I was seeing characters or anything like that. I was just struggling to get conscious," he told London's Isleworth Crown Court.
But when he eventually realised he was in a police cell at Heathrow airport, he was "horrified... it was like something out of a novel. I can't begin to describe the feelings I had."
He said although he could not remember having his fingerprints taken, he could recall looking at the inked tips afterwards and experiencing a sense of "terror". And when he learnt what he was supposed to have done, he was overcome with shame.
"To me it was just incomprehensible... I have never been in trouble before... I will go miles away to avoid confrontation. I really don't like it."
The court has heard Buck, who said he could only remember having at most three and a half glasses of wine before and during the flight, had actually had up to 15 top-ups during the early stages of the Seattle to Heathrow flight last April before being refused further alcohol.
Cabin staff aboard the 747 have spoken of him attacking two of their number during what the Crown has branded hours of "drunken loutish behaviour", "splattering" them with yoghurt, and then trying to load a CD into a hostess trolley before upending it and sending a cascade of crockery and food across the floor.
Buck, who lives with his wife and seven-year-old twin daughters in Seattle, denies one charge of being drunk on the aircraft, two counts of common assault involving cabin services director Mario Agius and stewardess Holly Ward, and one charge of damaging British Airways crockery.
