A jury has ordered Michael Jackson to pay $5.3 million in damages for failing to show up at two concerts.
A jury in the California town of Santa Maria, near Jackson's Neverland ranch, returned the verdict last night following a four-month trial begun by concert promoter Mr Marcel Avram who had sued the pop icon for $21.2 million.
"The jury decided against Mr Jackson and awarded damages of $5.3 million," a judicial source said, adding that the Jackson was not in court to hear the verdict.
"This is a total victory," said Mr Skip Miller, the lawyer of the Israeli promoter Mr Avram who had organised two Millennium concerts in Sydney and Honolulu that Jackson pulled out of at the last minute.
"This is complete vindication for Mr Avram," he said explaining that the judge had recalculated the damages and reduced the maximum award during the trial for "technical reasons".
Mr Miller said his client would appeal the decision in a bid to increase the award to between $10 and $11 million - an amount he said would compensate the losses suffered by Mr Avram.
Mr Avram, who ran a German-based promotions firm, claimed Jackson pulled out of the concerts in October 1999 after two charity concerts in Munich and Seoul in June of the same year suffered "dismal" ticket sales.
His suit claimed he had advanced the singer $11.2 million for the concerts but was then "left to explain Michael Jackson's erratic behaviour - and to pay all his bills".
Jackson had denied the charge, insisting it was Mr Avram who cancelled the December 1999 performances, fearing they would not be profitable.
AFP