Jackson's lawyer grills witness
2005-03-02 08:12
California - The last time Michael Jackson met Martin Bashir, he was squirming on camera at the British journalist's questions about his relations with young boys and plastic surgery.
At Jackson's child-molestation trial on Monday, the tables were turned as the pop star's lawyer grilled Bashir in the witness stand, challenging his journalistic ethics and motives.
With the obvious exception of Jackson himself, Bashir was probably the most reluctant participant in the court proceedings, having fought a failed legal battle to prevent himself being called as a witness.
The former BBC journalist, who became famous for interviewing Princess Diana and now works for the United States television network ABC News, arrived at the courthouse in Santa Maria, California, in a black Jaguar.
Ignoring a wall of TV cameras and photographers, he strode into the court building, flanked by two black-suited lawyers.
Game of cat and mouse
In the courtroom, when Jackson caught sight of the man he holds largely responsible for his current legal woes, he pointed his finger at him several times, silently mouthing: "It's Martin, it's Martin."
Bashir was the trial's first witness, having been called by the prosecution for the express purpose of showing the jury his documentary Living With Michael Jackson, which ultimately led to the charges Jackson now faces of molesting a 13-year-old cancer victim.
Without glancing over at Jackson, Bashir sat in the public gallery until he was called to the witness stand.
Having asked Bashir some routine questions on his career background, the prosecution aired the 105-minute documentary in which Jackson is seen holding hands with his future accuser and admits sharing his bed with children.
When the documentary ended, Jackson's imposing, silver-maned attorney, Thomas Mesereau, began what turned into a lengthy and at times barely civil game of cat and mouse with Bashir.
The journalist had looked uncomfortable from the moment he took the stand, repeatedly apologising for not speaking directly into the microphone.
"I'm sorry, I'm not so tall," he explained.
His discomfort grew under questioning from Mesereau, who asked about complaints from British broadcasting regulators about Bashir's journalism work and allegations that he had forged signatures.
Bashir conceded that regulators had upheld a charge that he partly misrepresented his intentions to one participant in a documentary he made about a child maths prodigy.
"Kind of what you've been accused of here?" Mesereau shot back before prosecutors launched an objection that was upheld by Judge Rodney Melville.
Jackson has accused Bashir of duping him into making Living With Michael Jackson and spinning his words to stir up the allegations of child abuse. - AFP
- SAPA