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Last witness blasts Jackson doctor

Other News Materials 21 October 2011 08:04 (UTC +04:00)
The last prosecution witness in the Michael Jackson manslaughter case blasted the pop star's private physician Thursday, describing as "crazy" the defence theory that Jackson self-injected the drugs that killed him, dpa reported.
Last witness blasts Jackson doctor

The last prosecution witness in the Michael Jackson manslaughter case blasted the pop star's private physician Thursday, describing as "crazy" the defence theory that Jackson self-injected the drugs that killed him, dpa reported.

Dr Conrad Murray, 58, is accused of involuntary manslaughter in the pop star's June 2009 death at the age of 50.

Dr Steven Shafer, an expert in the hospital anesthetic propofol, said there was 40 times the level of the drug in Jackson's body than Murray admitted to police.

Shafer said that according to his calculations Murray likely gave Jackson a 1000 milligram vial of propofol via drip feed rather than the 25 mg he has admitted to.

The witness said Murray let the drug continue running into the singer's veins even after Jackson's heart had stopped beating.

Shafer also ridiculed defence arguments that Jackson had somehow self-administered the dose that killed "People don't just wake up from anesthesia hell-bent to pick up a syringe and pump it into the IV," Shafer said. "It's a crazy scenario."

Shafer's testimony is due to wind up the prosecution's case before the defence starts calling its witnesses. On Wednesday he walked the jury through a video that demonstrated the proper used of the hospital anesthetic, contrasting it with the sloppy way that the prosecution alleges that Dr Conrad Murray administered the drug and caused Jackson's death.

Prosecutors claim he deviated wildly from standard medical practice by giving Jackson propofol as a sleeping aide, failing to properly supervise the patient, and neglecting to administer effective life-saving techniques or call for an ambulance in a timely manner.

Murray has pled not guilty and faces up to four years in jail if convicted.

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