The mother of Michael Jackson's young accuser tearfully begged a jury not to judge her as she described how she had come to trust the singer and believe everything he said.
Janet Arvizo gave a dramatic account of how she had become convinced killers were after her family and that only Jackson could protect them.
Michael Jackson departs the Santa Barbara County courthouse yesterday.
She told Santa Maria court, California that the singer had frequently called her son Gavin after he was diagnosed with cancer in 2000.
Their conversations went on "forever and ever," she said, making her increasingly uneasy. By September, 2002, her children were visiting the singer's Neverland ranch on their own, she said, and during one trip took part in Martin Bashir's controversial documentary.
Mrs Arvizo claimed that shortly afterwards, Jackson called her himself, insisting he needed Gavin to fly to Miami for a press conference to help limit the damage. "He said that he was receiving death threats about my children," she said.
"I told him if my son is in danger, then me and my children have to go too," adding that off they went, just like that, snapping her fingers.
The mother chastised herself, claiming she was "just like a sponge," believing everything he said. At one point she turned to jurors and pleaded: "Please don't judge me, please don't judge." She recalled a "lovey dovey" conversation she had with Jackson in Miami, when she claims he urged her to trust him because they were all family.
On the plane back to California, she claimed she saw the singer licking the top of her son's head. "I thought I was seeing things," she sobbed. "I thought it was just me." The jury was played a tape of a conversation she had with one of Jackson's associates on their return.
The man could be heard telling her Jackson was very worried about the family. He claimed they were not safe and begged them to return to Neverland to film a rebuttal to the Bashir documentary, defending Jackson. The video statement was made on February 20th, 2003, and Mrs Arvizo claimed she was handed scripted lines to read to "appease the killers".
She said Jackson and several of his associates used the term "killers." When she raised questions, one of Jackson's aides called her stupid, and claimed he could have her "erased" if she made them angry, she said.
As she took the stand, Mrs Arvizo immediately invoked legislation that protects her from testifying about alleged welfare fraud.