THE LATE MICHAEL Jackson’s doctor will face involuntary manslaughter charges for allegedly administering a fatal dose of a powerful general anesthetic as a treatment for insomnia, a Los Angeles judge has ruled.

During a six-day preliminary hearing in LA, prosecutors asserted that Dr Conrad Murray had administered a lethal amount of an anesthetic drug, along with other sedatives, to Jackson. They added that the doctor had then left Jackson alone and failed to call an ambulance when he realised that he was not breathing, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Murray, 57, pleaded not guilty to the charges, saying he did not give Jackson anything that was potentially lethal.

He told the court that he had been giving Jackson the anesthetic propofol for several weeks but was attempting to move him off the drug as he feared the singer was developing a dependence on it. He said that Jackson had told him that he would be forced to cancel his comeback tour if Murray refused to prescribe a dose of propofol.

Murray said that he administered the drug and then left the room for about two minutes to visit the bathroom; upon his return he found that Jackson was not breathing.

The prosecution criticised Murray for not calling an ambulance on seeing that Jackson was in trouble, however Murray says that he did not call the emergency services immediately because he was attending to his patient and could not leave him.

Records show that Murray made several other phone calls before contacting the emergency services an hour after discovering that Jackson was not breathing.

Murray’s defence team told the court that no proof had been established that the doctor had caused Jackson’s death and that the singer’s health was more than likely a contributing factor. Attorney Joseph Low told the court: “I do not believe Conrad Murray should be held responsible for killing Michael Jackson because he couldn’t breathe life back into him. Sometimes when it’s your time to go, there’s nothing you can do.”

Judge Michael Pastor ruled that Murray should be made to answer to the charge of involuntary manslaughter and also suspended his licence to practice in California “in the interest of the public safety.”