US: Martin Bashir, the British television journalist who made a controversial documentary on Michael Jackson's lifestyle, yesterday took the witness stand on the second day of the 46-year-old singer's trial on charges of sexually molesting a 13-year-old boy.
The first witness to be called in the case, Bashir appeared nervous, bemused and occasionally irritated by some of the questions put to him by prosecution attorney Tom Sneddon.
"What do you mean by video documentary?" he inquired of Mr Sneddon when asked if that was what he made for a living. "I call them current affairs films."
When describing his career, Bashir said: "I began at the BBC." "What is the BBC?" asked Mr Sneddon, provoking a look of incredulity from Bashir. Mr Sneddon then began showing the two-hour programme to the jury.
Before Bashir took the stand, Jackson's defence attorney, Thomas Mesereau, concluded his opening statement.
Labelling the charges against the singer "false and absurd", he continued his strategy of undermining the integrity of the family who levelled the allegations.
"Michael Jackson is being sucked in," he said, suggesting that the mother of the now 15-year-old boy who was allegedly molested by Jackson, was motivated by a desire for money.
He also raised the possibility that Jackson himself would take the stand. The defendant, free on $3 million bail, is attending every day of the court proceedings, but had not been expected to testify.
Mr Mesereau also provided some intriguing insights into the lifestyle of the reclusive pop star. "Michael Jackson will freely admit that he does read girlie magazines from time to time," he told the jury. "A member of staff will go to the local mart and pick up Playboy or Hustler from time to time. He absolutely denies showing them to children."
A key element of the prosecution's case is that Jackson showed pornographic material to the boy at the centre of the allegations.
Explicit magazines were found with the accuser's fingerprints and one magazine had his and Jackson's prints. Mr Mesereau offered a possible explanation, saying Jackson had once caught the boy reading his magazines and had taken them away.
He also sought to undermine the character of the accuser and his now 13-year-old brother, labelling them "out of control".
"They broke into the wine cellar" at Jackson's home, he told the jury. "They were caught with bottles. Michael Jackson was not around."
He portrayed Jackson as a "musical genius" whose lifestyle did not "often leave time to sit down with lawyers and accountants. It means he's vulnerable to being taken advantage of".
The trial continues.