Friday, Mar 11, 2005
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By Dan Glaister
SANTA MARIA (CALIFORNIA), MARCH 10. The jury in the Michael Jackson child molestation case was poised to hear evidence from the alleged victim yesterday. Before the boy's appearance the defence continued to explore discrepancies in testimony by the alleged victim's younger brother, who was 11 at the time of the alleged offences. The defence played a home movie made by the two brothers for Neverland's television channel and a DVD showing the 46-year-old entertainer and his alleged victim walking through the grounds of the Neverland ranch. The DVD was the jury's first real glimpse of the boy at the centre of the claims when he first visited Neverland while receiving treatment for cancer. The boy, then 13, is almost bald in the DVD, has difficulty walking and appears emaciated. At the time he was receiving chemotherapy for an aggressive cancer. As the singer and the boy strolled through the grounds of Neverland, with Mr. Jackson holding a black umbrella to protect himself from the sun, the Jackson Five's hit I'll Be There played on the soundtrack. In the DVD the two board the train that runs through the grounds; at another point they are seen sitting on a blanket by a lake. In the film, which is narrated by the younger brother, some children run and skip through Neverland as if in a soft drink commercial. Towards the end he interviews his older brother.
Inconsistencies
In earlier cross-examination, Mr. Jackson's lawyer, Thomas Mesereau, continued drawing the jury's attention to inconsistencies in the younger brother's testimony. As the only person who claims to have seen the alleged molestation, the brother is a chief witness for the prosecution. When asked by the defence, the boy was unable to explain why he had told the grand jury he knew where the key to Mr. Jackson's wine cellar was. In testimony on Tuesday he had told the court that he did not know where the key was. The defence contends that the two boy's were ``running wild'' through the main house at Neverland, breaking into the wine cellar and drinking alcohol. The prosecution argues Mr. Jackson administered alcohol to the boys to help commit a crime. ``Why did you not tell the jury the truth yesterday?'' Mr. Mesereau asked the boy, now 14. ``The key was on the hook but we didn't know where it was,'' the boy answered. Mr. Mesereau also pressed him on his different accounts of the molestation to police, to the grand jury and to the court. Up to now the boy has only spoken of two alleged instances of molestation of his brother. When the boy told of a third molestation, he caused a start in the courtroom. Asked by the defence to explain the discrepancies, the boy said: ``I was nervous when I was doing the interview.'' ``Because you were nervous you didn't get the facts right?'' asked Mr. Mesereau. ``Yes,'' the boy replied. The singer faces charges of child molestation, administering alcohol to a child and multiple counts of conspiracy involving extortion, kidnapping and false imprisonment. If found guilty he could face up to 20 years in prison. The trial continues. — © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2004
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