doctor Conrad Murray has begun his manslaughter trial

Michael Jackson's personal doctor Conrad Murray has begun his manslaughter trial in Los Angeles.

Murray has previously pleaded not guilty to the charges, and could face up to four years in prison if found guilty.

Prosecutors for the case said that Murray acted with "gross negligence" on the night of Jackson's death in June 2009, while the defence argued that Jackson took too much of the drug propofol himself.

Lead prosecutor David Walgren told the court: "Conrad Murray repeatedly acted with gross negligence, repeatedly denied appropriate care to his patient, Michael Jackson. That misplaced trust cost Michael Jackson his life."

The court was played a voicemail recording of Jackson taken on Murray's iPhone in May 2009. The tape contains Jackson slurring while discussing his then-upcoming gigs in London.

Jackson is heard saying: "When people leave my show, I want them to say, 'I've never seen nothing like this in my life. Go. Go. I've never seen nothing like this. Go. It's amazing. He's the greatest entertainer in the world'."

Walgren argued that Jackson's slurred speech proved that he should not have been allowed to have taken more propofol doses.

The prosecutor reported that Murray had left Jackson alone on the night he died to check his mobile phone. Upon finding him unconscious, he did not immediately contact emergency services, and allegedly waited 20 minutes before telling bodyguards to do so.

"[Murray] left [Jackson] there, abandoned him to fend for himself," Walgren said.

Walgren went on to claim that Murray did not tell paramedics about the injected propofol intake. The jury was also shown a photo of Jackson lying on a gurney after his death.

saying: "He did an act without his doctor's knowledge, without his doctor's permission, against his orders, he did an act that caused his own death."

Chernoff claimed that Jackson had swallowed several pills of the sedative lorazepam on the morning of his death, which combined with the self-ingested propfol to create "a perfect storm in his body", and killed him instantly.

The defence lawyer said that Jackson "died so rapidly, so instantly, he didn't even have time to close his eyes".

Various witnesses, including security guards and paramedics, are expected to be called to the stand during the ongoing trial.

The prosecution is also said to be planning on playing a recording of Murray's police interview taken two days after Jackson died, in which he admits giving the singer propofol.

The trial is expected to continue for at least five weeks.





Andrew.