Arvizo mother may refuse to take the stand

The mother of Michael Jackson's teenage accuser might not give evidence against him, it was claimed last night.

Her failure to appear in the witness box would be a major boost to the superstar's defence against child sex abuse charges.

Janet Arvizo, mother of 15-year- old Gavin Arvizo, was expected to be one of the last high-profile witnesses to be called by

the prosecution. But America's ABC network reported that she feared she would be asked about welfare payments she had claimed in the past and could open herself to fraud charges.

The court in Santa Maria, California, has already been told by the prosecution that she had obtained welfare funds she had no right to. ABC said that, having earlier agreed to give evidence, she had now changed her mind.

If forced to appear she would plead the Fifth Amendment which protects a witness from self-incrimination but would certainly taint her evidence in the eyes of the jury.

Mrs Arvizo has never claimed to have seen sexual molestation but is a key witness in the conspiracy charge against Jackson - that he tried to silence Gavin and his family in the

wake of Martin Bashir's TV documentary that led to the sex-abuse charges.

The defence will argue that the Arvizo family were trying to make money from Jackson. Any admissions that the mother had fraudulently claimed welfare payments would bolster its case.

Jackson denies charges of molesting Gavin and plying him with alcohol, as well as conspiracy to commit extortion, false imprisonment and child abduction. If found guilty he could be jailed for up to 20 years.

Yesterday the court was told that Gavin 'appeared brainwashed' after spending time at the star's Neverland estate. The boy's stepfather, Major Jay Jackson, said he noticed Gavin's behaviour change dramatically. 'It appeared to me he had been brainwashed,' he said. 'He was just mean. He was yelling. . . and he was using curse words.'

The court also heard how Gavin's mother was 'distressed and disturbed' at attempts to make her take part in a video designed to counter Bashir's programme.

Mrs Arvizo would sit in a cupboard cryin g a s J a c k s o n' s a i d e s bombarded her with phone calls, her husband said. The case continues.