On a BA flight from Seattle to Heathrow in April 2001, the R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck allegedly ordered 15 glasses of red wine during the first three hours of the 10-hour journey, then staggered up to the galley to demand more.

After receiving a written warning from the flight captain, he began abusing staff and passengers. The musician ripped the warning from the captain's hands, tore it up and boasted: "You are just a captain and I am R.E.M."

In court, Buck claimed a sleeping pill he took before the flight, combined with "small amounts" of wine, had converted him into a "non-insane automatism". He said he had a total blackout until he woke up in a police cell, and was not therefore accountable for his actions. The jury agreed!