Plane captain tells of mid-air clash with REM guitarist

A plane captain has told a court how he called a flight deck crisis meeting during an alleged air rage incident involving Peter Buck.

The British Airways pilot said he spoke to his crew 35,000ft above the Atlantic after the REM guitarist tore up a "yellow card" warning him to behave.

Captain Tom Payne said Buck's behaviour on board the Jumbo 747 led to a string of complaints from crew. Buck denies the allegations.

The meeting was held after alleged assaults on staff, a hostess trolley being overturned, and claims that a knife had to be taken from the 45-year-old guitarist.

Captain 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."

As a result police boarded the plane minutes after touchdown and arrested the musician.

Captain Payne said he decided during the flight that he had no choice but to serve Buck with a so-called "yellow card", warning him to behave. He told the court: "But when I served the document he took it, tore it into pieces and dropped them on the floor."

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.

The case continues.