Jackson prosecutors seek to introduce ‘explosive’ evidence

THE jury in Michael Jackson’s child abuse trial was discharged early yesterday to enable lawyers to debate various motions before Judge Rodney Melville.

One involves a prosecution request to introduce a potentially explosive witness who claims to have taken a tub of Vaseline to the aroused pop star.

Security guard Kassim Abdool, who worked at Neverland from 1991 to 1994, has told a grand jury that Jackson opened the door of his bedroom “sweaty and aroused” wearing only pyjama bottoms.

He claims there was a boy in the room who he believed to be 1993 accuser Jordy Chandler, who received a hefty out of court settlement in 1994.

Meanwhile, it was reported that child actor Macaulay Culkin would testify voluntarily in Jackson’s defence.

Earlier a former security guard Jackson’s Neverland ranch testified about a series of records which detailed activities at the property. Brian Barron was taken through logs kept at the main gate which showed all comings and goings at the pop star’s home throughout February and March 2003.

Jackson’s accuser and his family claim the pop star conspired to hold them captive over the period, in the wake of Martin Bashir’s controversial documentary.

The logs, shown to jurors at the Santa Maria court, depicted various incidents including a time when the accuser was hit by a golf cart driven by a relative of actor Marlon Brando.

On another day, records showed that the entire accuser’s family left the property and returned hours later.

The boy’s mother has testified she took the family for an unnecessary trip to an orthodontist because she had hoped to escape. Mr Barron has told the court he was once given orders not to let Jackson’s accuser, then aged 13, leave Neverland.

Under cross examination Mr Barron acknowledged that no children would be allowed off the ranch without supervision.