Dr Conrad Murray, former personal physician to Michael Jackson, has been sentenced to four years in prison for causing the death of the singer. The 58 year-old cardiologist had been on remand at the Los Angeles County Jail since 7 November when he was convicted of involuntary manslaughter, after the jury decided that he had been criminally negligent in his treatment of Jackson. He showed no emotion as the sentence was read out in the Los Angeles county court. Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor sentenced Murray to the maximum time allowed under California law for involuntary manslaughter. Throughout the hearing Pastor repeatedly censured Dr Murray for a “horrific violation of trust” in his care of the former King of Pop. The judge also said that Dr Murray remained a threat to the community, stating: “He has absolutely no sense of remorse and the fact remains Dr Murray is offended by that patient dying. I think Dr Murray is so reckless he is a danger to the community.” Pastor refused to set restitution for Jackson’s three children until he received a full breakdown of the $111 million that the prosecution team claimed had been lost due to Jackson’s demise. They stated that the cost of the singer’s funeral had been over $1.8 million and that he stood to earn around $100 million from his planned series of comeback concerts at the 02 Arena in London, which was already sold out before his death. It is, however, unlikely that Murray will be able to afford to pay much. He had debts of around $1 million when he accepted the job as Jackson’s personal physician for a salary of $150.000 a month. The singer passed away before Murray was paid any money. Jackson, 50, died on 24 June 2009 at a Los Angeles mansion he was renting as he prepared for 50 concerts in London. He suffered from acute insomnia, and had taken eight lorazepam tablets that night when he found himself unable to sleep; a dose high enough to sedate six adults. When this failed to send him to sleep Murray administered propofol, a powerful anaesthetic that is only intended for use in hospitals. A coroner later recorded that the singer died from ‘acute intoxication’ as a result of a lethal dose of propofol. Dr Murray had admitted giving Jackson a ‘small amount’ of the drug, but maintained that this should not have been enough to kill him. Murray’s defence lawyers claimed that Jackson had taken it upon himself to self administer another dose of propofol while Dr Murray had left the room to use the bathroom. It took the jury only a few hours to decide that Dr Murray was responsible for the death of Jackson. Under Assembly Bill 109 Murray’s sentence will be automatically reduced by half, meaning that he will serve two years, minus the 47 days he has already served. Category:Home › Other • Pomegranates: A newly discovered superfood • Where did the joke why did the chicken cross the road come from and why is it funny? • Can mothers diagnosed with bipolar disorder make good parents? • Spiritual evolution of human consciousness • Tips for getting a college basketball scholarship • Living with Pseudotumor cerebri (PTC) • Caring for the caregiver • Technologys impact on society
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