Michael Jackson 'faced financial ruin'

Michael Jackson was facing financial ruin when he agreed to do his This Is It concert tour, and his fear of failure spurred by insomnia drove him to take desperate measures that killed him, his doctor's lawyer said.

The statements by defence attorney Edward Chernoff during a pre-trial hearing yesterday brought a new twist to the case being built by lawyers for Dr Conrad Murray, who is charged over Jackson's in 2009.