I remember nothing, claims REM star

Rock star Peter Buck, accused of causing drunken mayhem on a transatlantic jet, said this afternoon he could remember nothing after taking a sleeping pill and drinking three and a half glasses of wine.

The next thing he knew he was waking up under bright lights at Heathrow police station believing he was in hospital after a heart attack.

The 45-year-old millionaire guitarist with REM said he was " horrified and ashamed" when he read reports of him assaulting cabin crew, throwing yoghurt and overturning a catering trolley.

As he gave evidence in his own defence on two charges of assault, causing criminal damage and being drunk, he told the jury at Isleworth court that it was all caused by a sleeping tablet given to him by a friend to help him sleep on the overnight flight from Seattle to Heathrow.

He said he'd had little sleep or food for hours before he boarded the flight to London where he was appearing with his band at the Nelson Mandela "Freedom Concert" in Trafalgar Square.

He told how a producer friend, Gordon Edelstein, had told him at dinner a few days earlier that if he took one of the sleeping pills and a couple of glasses of cognac before dinner on a night flight he would go to sleep and "wake up feeling great".

He said he had barely a glass of wine before going on board the jet, but had another glass before take off at which point he took a tablet. "I felt fine, great, excited to be on the road and travelling again," he said. "I hoped I would have two to three glasses of wine, go to bed and sleep for six hours."

After take-off a steward came round offering drinks again and he remembered "drinking a second glass, maybe three".

"I was reading a magazine and realised I couldn't focus on what I was reading. I was just looking at the same paragraph. I remember looking at the menu and deciding I would probably have a steak and take a nap but I don't remember ordering a meal.

"If you'd asked me what happened next I would say I slept from then on until we landed."

The trial has heard how he abused staff, drank 15 glasses of wine and demanded more before tearing up a warning "yellow card" shown him by the plane's captain. He was arrested on arrival at Heathrow.

Asked if he had any recollection of events later on the flight he replied: "None whatsoever."

He told how he'd flown with BA several times since but had been careful never to have a drink.

Asked what he next remembered he said: "The first thing I have a concrete memory of is an interview with a police sergeant. I remember being horrified that I was in jail."

He told the court he had never been in trouble before or needed rehabilitation for drink or drugs.

Earlier the court had heard a tape of the police interview. Buck can be heard moaning as the full extent of his bad behaviour is spelled out to him. He tells the police: "I have never done anything like this before. I am appalled and shocked. I guess I acted like any jerk on vacation."

The case continues.