Defence lawyers for Michael Jackson's personal physician DR. Conrad Murray aim to prove the fallen pop star was a drug addict in court - using testimony from his closest aides.
Reports suggest the attorneys representing the embattled doctor intend to call on members of the King of Pop's inner circle as witnesses when Murray's manslaughter trial begins next month (Sep11).
The physician stands accused of administering the anaesthetic that killed Jackson in 2009, but his defence team insists close associates and friends will testify that the singer was a desperate drug addict constantly "on the hunt" for the drug that killed him, according to the Los Angeles Times.
In papers filed at the Los Angeles Superior Court, attorneys for Murray detailed the testimony they plan to elicit at the trial from a host of Jackson confidants, including longtime friends, medical providers and even the nanny to his three children, Grace Rwaramba, who has previously told investigators she had repeatedly tried to stage interventions and once fielded a call from Jackson's children after their father had passed out on the floor.
She was fired two months before the singer's death after complaining about his drug use, according to the filing.