London: Michael Jackson saw salvation in a dangerous drug that he had nicknamed ‘milk’ and took it every night at bedtime until June 25, 2009, when it became his death potion.
The anesthetic known as Propofol apparently helped him beat his nightly battle with insomnia after a day of gruelling rehearsals for his marathon 50-night comeback tour, reports the Daily Mail.
How he overdosed in his mansion on a drug intended for hospital use is at the centre of the manslaughter trial this week of the doctor he hired - six weeks before he died - to be his highly paid personal physician for the ‘This Is It’ tour.
Testimony about the drug is expected to dominate the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray, a Houston cardiologist who has pleaded not guilty to a charge of involuntary manslaughter in Los Angeles Superior Court. The trial begins this Tuesday.
The prosecution claims Murray was grossly negligent in giving Jackson Propofol at home without proper lifesaving equipment available and then left the room long enough to find his patient not breathing when he returned.
His defence team claims the singer, desperate for sleep, swallowed an additional dose of the drug when his doctor was out of the room.
The defense theory is based on evidence that a trace amount of Propofol - .13 milligrams - was found in Jackson’s stomach.
Murray’s actions after he found Jackson not breathing are also central to the case.
An autopsy report showed that Jackson was generally healthy, indicating his key problem was insomnia.
ANI
