Jackson accuser 'sought no help'

The star's lawyers say the Arvizo's were never held against their will

The mother of Michael Jackson's accuser did not call for help while outside his ranch during her family's alleged captivity by the star, a court heard.

An orthodontist and a bodywaxer both said Janet Arvizo, the mother of Mr Jackson's accuser Gavin Arvizo, made no attempt to escape while visiting them.

However, a housekeeper at the star's ranch said Mrs Arvizo had told her she was being held against her will.

Mr Jackson denies charges of child abuse and conspiracy to kidnap.

Prosecutors claim that Mr Jackson and five aides conspired to hold the family prisoner for three weeks after the broadcast, on 6 February 2003, of a television documentary in which the star was shown holding hands with his future accuser and admitting to sharing a bed with him.

'Grave concerns'

Housekeeper Maria Gomez, who has worked at Neverland for 10 years, said that Mrs Arvizo had praised Mr Jackson and said she wanted her children, including accuser Gavin, to call him "Dad".

But she said that during February and March 2003, she had a conversation with Mrs Arvizo in which the mother claimed she and her children were being held against their will, and asked the housekeeper to help her leave.

"On that occasion, she said three persons were holding her there", and were "interfering" in her relationship with Mr Jackson, the AFP news agency reported.

The defence say the family were guests at Neverland

In further testimony, orthodontist Jean Lorraine Seamount told the jury that the accuser's mother and her two sons made no attempt to alert the authorities or escape during a two-hour visit to her surgery on 24 February 2003.

Carole McCoy, a bodywaxer who owned a beauty salon near Neverland Ranch, told jurors that Mrs Arvizo showed no indication of being held captive during a visit for a waxing on 11 February 2003.

Last week, Mark Geragos, one of Mr Jackson's former lawyers, told the trial that he had "grave concerns" about Gavin Arvizo's intentions.

Also last week, another of Mr Jackson's former lawyers, Robert LeGrand, said he suspected two aides, Ronald Konitzer and Dieter Wiesner, had diverted almost $1m from his accounts.

He also said Mr Jackson had been hoodwinked over the making of British TV journalist Martin Bashir's documentary, signing "terrible contracts" prior to filming which gave Mr Bashir and Granada TV full rights to the footage.

The documentary triggered the police investigation into Mr Jackson.