Businessman suing BA for £4m over a Heathrow Baileys slip is accused by a former friend of training to sail

Andreas Wuchner, 44, alleges a fall at Heathrow in 2017 left him brain-damaged and unable to work, but former associate Sebastian Steiner told the court he later bought a boat and got a boating licence in Croatia. BA contends the evidence paints "a radically different picture." His barrister Sarah Prager KC dismissed the claims as "tittle tattle." Judge David Saunders nonetheless ordered BA to hand over £100,000 in interim compensation.

At the moment he slipped, Wuchner was carrying two espressos and two latte macchiatos as well as the liqueur that had been spilled.

A judge has already docked his payout by 20 per cent on the basis that he was rushing while holding hot drinks.

The earlier ruling found it "unusual" that no BA staff member moved to clean up the spillage.