Jacko's lawyer seeks to discredit accuser's sister

Michael Jackson’s defence sought today to undermine the credibility of prosecution testimony by the older sister of the boy who has accused the pop star of child molestation.

Thomas Mesereau quizzed 18-year-old student Davellin Arvizo about testimony she gave last week about a civil case in which her family sued chain store JC Penney because of an encounter with security guards.

Davellin that she had been present for her brother’s sworn deposition, contrary to her statement last week that she didn’t know anything about that case.

When Mesereau asked her if she had been wrong last week, she said: “When you said deposition it refreshed my memory.”

The defence lawyer, noting that last week Davellin had also said she was unaware of any school discipline problems involving her brother, Gavin, pointed out that Gavin said in his deposition that he had been thrown out of school.

“I don’t remember him saying it,” she said.

The witness said the only problem she was aware of was her brother being too talkative in school and talking back.

Jackson, 46, is accused of molesting Gavin, who was then 13, providing him alcohol and conspiring to hold his family captive in order to help Jackson rebut a damaging British TV documentary in which he said he allowed children to sleep in his bedroom.

Davellin testified last week that she saw Jackson kissing her brother on the head and cheek and that the pop star poured wine for both of her brothers and herself. She did not testify to seeing any actual molestation.