R.E.M. star says he has no memory of flight

Buck had been drinking for most of the flight, the court was told

LONDON, England -- A rock star accused of being drunk on board a plane told his trial jury that he had no recollection of the alleged rampage during a transatlantic flight.

R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck said on Wednesday that his last memory of the flight was taking a sleeping pill with a glass of wine and waking up in a police cell at London's Heathrow Airport.

Buck 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.

He said: "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 was overcome with shame when told what he had allegedly done, the court heard.

"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," Buck added

The court has heard that Buck consumed so much alcohol that staff eventually refused to serve him anymore, that he attacked two cabin crew, overturned a trolley and tried to conceal a knife up his sleeve.

At one stage he had to be pulled away from an exit door after announcing he wanted to "go home," the jury at Isleworth Crown Court, west London, was told.

He also ripped up a warning given to him by Captain Tom Payne, the jury heard.

Payne said he was so concerned with Buck's behaviour that he called a flight deck crisis meeting.

One option he considered was diverting the plane to the nearest airport and offloading Buck.

However, they decided to continue to Heathrow and requested police to await their arrival.

The musician's defence relies partly on being a victim of mistaken identity after becoming confused with his tour manager, and partly on a condition called non-insane automatism brought on by the sleeping tablet and alcohol.

The trial continues on Thursday.