Court records show Jackson’s doctor owed at least €550k

Dr CONRAD Murray needed a big payday when he became Michael Jackson’s personal physician last spring.

The Las Vegas cardiologist owed at least $780,000 (€550,186) for settlements against his business, for mortgage payments and for child support. Court records chronicling Murray’s woes in Las Vegas, where authorities searched his home this week as part of their manslaughter probe into Jackson’s death, help explain why Murray might have jumped at the $150,000-a-month Jackson’s promoter was prepared to pay him to keep the star healthy through a series of concerts in London. Authorities believe Murray gave the star a fatal dose of the anaesthetic propofol to help him sleep.

Propofol is not meant as a sleep agent.