Michael Jackson's mother has spoken out about the maximum four-year involuntary manslaughter sentence handed down to her son's former doctor today, insisting it is 'not enough'.
Katherine Jackson, leaving the Los Angeles courtroom, thanked the prosecutors and Judge Michael Pastor for delivering justice after the six-week trial that saw Conrad Murray sentenced for her son's death.
Speaking to KTLA, she said: 'Four years is not enough for someone's life. It won't bring him back but at least he got the maximum. I thought the judge was very, very fair and I thank him.'
She continued: 'Four years won't bring my son back, but that's the law. So the judge gave him the maximum, so I thank the judge and I thank the prosecutors and I think everything went well.'
Jermaine Jackson, who was by his mother's side as the family exited, echoed her remarks to waiting reporters.
'Dr Murray engaged in a recurring, continuous pattern of deceit and lies. Dr Murray abandoned his patient.'
Nicole Alvarez, Murray's girlfriend and mother of his son, disagreed. She told TMZ that Judge Michael Pastor's decision to give him the maximum sentence was 'ridiculous,' especially since the judge said Murray didn't show any remorse.
Judge Pastor and prosecutors called Conrad Murray a 'danger to the community', slamming Murray for playing 'Russian roulette' with the singer and using him as an 'experiment'.
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Steve Whitmore told CBS News Murray's sentence is automatically reduced to two years under Assembly Bill 109.
Murray, however, will be required to serve all of his halved sentence, minus 47 days he has already served, he said.
Murray did not openly react as he was sentenced after the trial, which has given the most detailed account yet of Jackson's final hours.
