Ex-Neverland staff speak well of Jackson
Francine Contreras, who worked at the ranch as a maid from 1991 to 1993, said she had never heard Adrian McManus say a bad word about the singer.
Ms McManus, another former maid, has claimed she saw the pop star kiss three boys, including actor Macaulay Culkin whilst his hand was on his bottom.
Ms Contreras told Santa Maria court, California, that Ms McManus was a thief who had stolen several items from Jackson, often disguised in a laundry basket.
Former head of housekeeping at the ranch, Gayle Goforth, claimed Ms McManus had become “uppity” when she was promoted to become Jackson’s personal maid.
She said the mother of Jackson’s young accuser had once asked her for a job because she was desperate for money.
“I told her that the rents were very expensive in the area,” she said.
“But she said: ‘I’ll come and I’ll sleep in the car if I need to.’ ”
Ms Goforth said she had deemed it inappropriate as she had been a guest. She admitted she was suspended from Neverland but said it was over a mix-up involving the sale of some furniture.
Another ex-employee, Violet Silva, said she had never seen Jackson inappropriately touching children and said guests had to sign a confidentiality agreement which barred them from profiting from their visit.
She told the court the accuser’s family had been at the ranch a lot in February 2003 and that the boy and his brother were quite unruly, often driving about in ranch vehicles without permission.
Their mother was usually in the guest quarters, she said, and was either really happy or very subdued.
The string of former employees marked the beginning of the first full week of Jackson’s defence.
The singer’s lawyer, Tom Mesereau, launched his case with testimony from two alleged former victims Wade Robson and Brett Barnes, who both denied being abused.
Jackson, 46, denies molesting the 13-year-old boy, plying him with alcohol and conspiring to hold him and his family captive.
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