REM star 'ransacked' first class

Rock star Peter Buck walked away after assaulting two cabin crew and overturning a food trolley at 35,000ft saying "I'm REM - I can say what I like - I can do what I like," a court heard today.

The millionaire guitarist was said to have earlier threatened a steward telling him: "I can f***ing take you out any time and I can put that f***ing tie down your throat." He then tried to hide a knife up his sleeve.

Isleworth crown court heard Buck, 45, left the first-class cabin of the British Airways Boeing 747 looking ransacked after drinking for four hours, consuming 15 glasses of wine. Stewardess Holly Ward told how after an incident in which she and steward Mario Agius were left covered in yoghurt in a fracas involving Buck, he went to the first class galley.

"He stood very, very still" she said. "He suddenly leaned forward and tipped the whole trolley up. Everything went on the floor." She looked at colleague Nara Incecchi and saw she looked scared. As they knelt to pick up food, smashed plates and cutlery, Buck knelt also, apparently to help, she said.

"As he picked up the knives he attempted to put one up his sleeve and as he did so he smiled at me" said Miss Ward, a stewardess for 15 years. She disarmed him - and it was then he said he belonged to rock band REM and could do what he liked.

Earlier Ms Incecchi had told how when Buck overturned the trolley, she thought: "'There are knives on the floor, he's drunk, he's going to grab one.' I was scared to death."

The court heard that when captain Tom Payne arrived - Buck had earlier torn up a yellow warning card in front of him - the rock star pointed at his cabin crew and said: "they have all been drinking. They have been taking drugs and they have assaulted me."

Buck was escorted from the plane by police after the flight from Seattle to London on 21 April last year. He had been due to appear at Nelson Mandela's "Freedom Day " concert in Trafalgar Square.

The musician denies two counts of assault, one of drunkenness on board an aircraft and one of criminal damage. If found guilty he faces up to four years in jail.

He sat in the dock impassively in a pinstriped suit, black tie and white shirt as a passenger and BA crew described his drinking.

Purser Janis Hawkins said: "from the time we took off over the next four hours it was constant, repeatedly being asked for more wine."

Eventually, after seeing the toilet floor soaking wet after a visit by Buck, Ms Hawkins said she decided to give him no more alcohol. She said crew had filled his glass up to that point "because he hadn't shown aggressive behaviour and there was no reason not to serve him. He was a customer, he had paid the money".

After being refused drink Buck weaved his way to the galley to fill glasses himself. He tried to conceal a bottle of champagne in his leather jacket, the court heard.

Miss Ward said Buck was swaying, smelled of alcohol and spoke incoherently. After he refused to fasten his seat belt, she said: "I offered him a cup of tea, a coffee, a coca cola and a hot chocolate with squirty cream on top" she said. "He wanted alcohol."

Earlier the court heard Buck demanded to be taken home and tried to open an exit door during the flight. The case continues.