March 13, 2009 15:50

Defence rests in Phil Spector murder retrial

Testimony of prosecution's star witness is called into question

The defence attorney for Phil Spector has rested his case in the famed music producer's murder retrial.

Attorney Doron Weinberg concluded the case for the defence in Los Angeles Superior Court yesterday (March 12) with testimony from an expert forensic psychologist.

Weinberg called psychologist Elizabeth Loftus to the stand in an attempt to cast doubt on the testimony of Spector's chauffeur, who was the prosecution's star witness, reports the Associated Press. The chauffeur testified that he heard Spector say he had killed somebody on the night actress Lana Clarkson was found dead in the producer's mansion.

Spector -- the pioneer behind the 1960s Wall Of Sound technique -- is accused of murdering Clarkson at his Los Angeles mansion on February 3, 2003. Defence attorneys are alleging that she took her own life because she was despondent over her waning career, while prosecution is making the case that Spector shot the actress.

After five months of heated testimony last year, the jury reached a 10-2 deadlock in favour of convicting Spector, which resulted in the judge declaring a mistrial.

Judge Larry Paul Fidler told jurors that testimony in the trial would conclude next week. Prosecutors have reportedly begun preparing their rebuttal.

--By our Los Angeles staff.
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