Jackson’s doctor Conrad Murray ‘ordered aide to remove evidence’

Michael Jackson’s doctor in­structed an aide to remove medical equipment near the singer’s body before paramedics arrived, a court probing the medic’s role in Michael Jackson’s death was told.

Conrad Murray, accused of involuntary manslaughter over the pop icon’s shock death on June 25, 2009, also gathered up a number of bottles before anyone called 911 for emergency help, the aide testified.

Alberto Alvarez, described as a logistics director for Michael Jackson, said that when he entered the star’s bedroom, he found Dr Murray giving the apparently dead singer cardio-pulmonary resuscitation with one hand.

The doctor then gathered a number of bottles or vials and asked Mr Alvarez to put them in a plastic bag. He then put the plastic bag inside a larger brown bag, Mr Alvarez said.

“When I did that, he then instructed me to remove an IV bag from the IV stand,” Alvarez said, referring to intravenous drip equipment used to give medication to Jackson, who died from drug-induced respiratory arrest.

The IV material – including a “milk-like substance” in the IV bag, was placed in a separate bag, the aide said, adding that all of this was done before anyone called 911.

He was speaking on the second day of pre-trial hearings expected to last two weeks to determine whether Dr Murray should face a full trial.

Michael Jackson’s mother and father Katherine and Joe, sisters Janet, LaToya and Rebbie, and brother Randy attended the hearings on Wednesday. His mother, LaToya and other brother Jackie attended the first day on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, LA deputy district attorney David Walgren said Dr Murray gave Jackson the powerful sedative propofol every night for nearly two months to help him sleep, as he prepared for a string of comeback concerts in London.

He listed a string of alleged failings by the doctor on the day Jackson died, including delaying calling 911, not telling paramedics about the drugs he had given the singer and not knowing how to properly administer CPR.

On Wednesday, Mr Alvarez recounted how, when he entered the star’s bedroom, Dr Murray was on “the right side of the bed and he was giving chest compressions to Michael Jackson,” who was on his back on the bed, his eyes and mouth open.

“He was standing over him and he was giving him chest compressions with one hand,” he added.

At one point Michael Jackson’s children Paris and Prince came into the room. “Paris screamed, ‘Daddy,’ and started crying,” said Mr Alvarez, adding that Dr Murray asked for the children to leave, saying “Don’t let them see their father like this.”

Mr Walgren asked Mr Alvarez if Michael Jackson appeared to be alive or dead. “Dead, sir,” he replied.

Mr Alvarez eventually called 911, and was told by the operator to put Jackson on the floor to administer CPR, which should be carried out on a hard surface rather than a soft bed.

Dr Murray asked if anyone knew how to carry out CPR, at which point Alvarez took over compressing the star’s chest, while the doctor gave him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

Another witness, paramedic Richard Senneff, testified that Dr Murray never mentioned propofol when he asked if the singer was on any medication. Asked twice by Mr Walgren if he mentioned the drug, he said: “No, sir.”

“He said no, none, he’s not taking anything,” Mr Senneff said, adding that the doctor also said Michael Jackson had no underlying medical conditions.

A heart monitor was hooked up to Jackson, but it was flatlining, he said. Mr Walgren asked: “In your opinion, was the patient deceased?” Mr Senneff replied: “Yes.”

Michael Jackson was eventually taken to the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Centre, where he was. pronounced dead at 2.26 p.m, from acute intoxication with propofol.

Jackson’s death at the age of 50 shocked the entertainment world and triggered intense debate over the performer’s health in the run-up to the London concerts, known as the This is It tour.