Both sides of the Michael Jackson wrongful death trial have delivered their closing statements and the jury have been sent away to decide their final verdict on the billion-dollar lawsuit. Concert promoters AEG Live are being sued by the Jackson family, led by Katherine Jackson, for causing the death of the King of Pop, a claim that the promoters vehemently deny as being their fault.

Michael Jackson This Is It
Jackson was due to perform 50 dates for his 'This Is It' residency in London

Marvin Putnam, the lead attorney for AEG, closed the company's case by stating that Michael's death was caused by his own insatiable addiction to painkillers, adding that the company can be in no way responsible for him overdosing behind closed doors at the hands of his own, personally appointed doctor. Repeating his statement for emphasis, Putnam argued that the plaintiff's are holding AEG accountable for a private matter that occurred without their jurisdiction or knowledge, an incident that can only be accounted to the people present at the time.

"The sad truth here is that Michael Jackson's death was caused by his own choices," Putnam argued in his closing address, as reported by the New York Daily News. He went on to mention that, as a consenting adult nearing his 50th birthday, AEG had no right to interfere with Michael's request to bring his personal physician, the now incarcerated Dr Conrad Murray, and the fault of Michaels death lies with him and Michael's decades-long drug dependancies. He added, "Simply stated, AEG never would have agreed to finance this tour if it knew Mr. Jackson played Russian roulette every night in his bedroom. It wasn't going to happen."

Conrad Murray
Dr. Conrad Murrary was sentence in 2010

"They were incredibly excited about it. They wanted to move forward, to be part of Mr. Jackson's redemption. And yes, they also wanted to make a profit. There's no question about that," Putnam said in his final statement, in regards to commissioning his 50-date comeback 'This Is It' tour. "But that doesn't change the facts. It doesn't change that adults are responsible for the choices they make."

Last week, the defence for the case put in their closing arguments, painting a picture of Jackson as a tortured soul, placed in a compromising position by AEG which ultimately drove him to his death. The statements in court regularly described Michael as a workhorse, with AEG cracking the whip, and have also blamed the concert promoters for hiring Dr Murray in the first place, a claim that the concert promoters have been able to give evidence against on multiple occasions throughout the five month-long court case. Katherine Jackson is suing the company for loss of family earnings, worth billions of dollars, and for their own personal loss.

Michael Jackson
Michael's death came as a shock to everyone, including AEG