Rock guitarist in court over 'air rage' incident
US rock guitarist Peter Buck is due to stand trial in connection with an alleged air rage incident on board a transatlantic flight.
The 44-year-old REM star is charged with assaulting British Airways' staff Mario Agius and Holly Ward.
He is alleged to have been drunk on board the aircraft before causing criminal damage during a 747 flight from Seattle to Heathrow on April 21 this year.
The millionaire father-of-two is also accused of interfering with the performance of a crew member's duties, an allegation that involves a control panel on an external door.
He denied all five charges at an earlier court appearance.
The incident is said to have occurred while Buck was flying to London for an REM performance in Trafalgar Square to celebrate the role of the British-based anti-apartheid movement in bringing democracy to South Africa, before the group began a world tour.
His trial at Isleworth Crown Court in west London is expected to last a week.
