R.E.M. Rocker Faces The Music

R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck overturned a breakfast trolley, mistook a stranger for his wife and scuffled with crew members after getting drunk aboard a trans-Atlantic flight, prosecutors said at his trial Monday.

Prosecution lawyer David Bate said Buck behaved like a "drunken lout" aboard the Seattle-to-London flight last April.

Buck, 45, denies charges of being drunk on an aircraft, committing assault and damaging British Airways crockery.

Bate said Buck, who was traveling to Britain to promote the Georgia band's album "Reveal," drank about 15 glasses of wine in the first three hours of the flight. He became increasingly unruly, staggering up the aisle of the Boeing 747 and at one point becoming lodged between two seats, the prosecutor charged.

"The defendant staggered to the lavatory on a number of occasions. A passenger complained later to the aircrew about the state of the lavatory," Bate said. "When they inspected the floor it was found to be wet."

After the crew refused to serve him more alcohol, Buck tried to take more bottles from the galley, Bate said.

As his behavior worsened, Buck overturned a breakfast trolley — sending crockery and food flying — mistook a hostess trolley for a CD player, claimed a stranger sitting on the plane was his wife and tussled with crew members, covering them with yogurt.

He also punched a wall of the plane "with considerable force" and tried to slip a knife up his sleeve, Bate claimed.

Capt. Tom Payne warned the musician about his behavior and told him police would be called to meet the flight if he did not calm down.

Bate said Buck, who appeared in court wearing a navy blue pinstriped suit, white shirt and dark blue tie, "lost it" when confronted about his behavior.

"He said to the captain, 'I am R.E.M. and I can make up a story that I was assaulted'," Bate said.

"Perhaps he is not used to being told what he can and cannot do," Bate added.

Buck eventually fell asleep, "no doubt to the enormous relief of crew and passengers alike," Bate said.

The lawyer said Buck told police that he was sorry for his behavior and that he had "acted like a jerk going on vacation."

Bate said Buck's lawyers had indicated they would raise identity as an issue in his defense.

The trial at Isleworth Crown Court in west London is expected to last eight days.