I did not kill King of Pop, Jackson's doctor says

The doctor hired to care for Michael Jackson was charged on Monday with killing the pop star after a lengthy investigation that found a lethal cocktail of drugs in the singer's system when he died last year.

Conrad Murray, who lives in Las Vegas, pleaded not guilty to a charge of involuntary manslaughter in the death that officials have ruled was due mainly to an overdose of the powerful aesthetic propofol, among several drugs.

Dr Murray was heckled by Mr Jackson's fans chanting "murderer" as he entered a Los Angeles courthouse in a crisp grey suit and red tie. Once in court, he faced angry members of Mr Jackson's family, including mother Katherine and brother Jermaine.

The doctor remained stoic during the proceeding and when addressed by the judge, spoke softly. He was admonished not to leave the country and not to give any patient an aesthetic. He posted bail of £48,000 and was allowed to leave.

To reach a guilty verdict for involuntary manslaughter - meaning Dr Murray killed Mr Jackson but he did so without malice - jurors must believe that whatever the doctor did to Mr Jackson went beyond an accident and was criminally negligent.

Dr Murray, 56, faces up to four years in prison if convicted. He is still allowed to practice medicine, although prosecutors filed a motion to revoke his licence.

"This has been a nightmare for him for many different reasons. One of the reasons is he lost a friend" in Mr Jackson, Dr Murray's attorney, Ed Chernoff, told reporters outside the courthouse.

Dr Murray, a cardiologist, was hired in May 2009 to care for Mr Jackson as he prepared for a series of comeback concerts aimed at reviving a career sidelined by the singer's 2005 trial and acquittal on charges of molesting a 13-year-old boy.