POLICE OFFICER CONTRADICTS SPECTOR’S EX IN COURT TESTIMONY

PHIL SPECTOR’s murder trial defence was handed a boost on Thursday (06Nov08) when a police officer failed to corroborate testimony from the music mogul’s ex-girlfriend about an allegedly abusive incident in 1993.
Spector’s former girlfriend Dorothy Melvin took the stand at Los Angeles Superior Court earlier this week (begs03Nov08) and recalled how she had been threatened on one occasion by a gun-toting Spector.
Melvin described a visit to Spector’s Pasadena home in July 1993 when she had fallen asleep – only to awake and find Spector outside pointing a shotgun at her car.
When she protested, he allegedly smacked her in the face with the firearm, drawing blood, and chased her down the driveway as she fled the scene in her car.   But Sergeant Chris Russ, who attended the scene of the alleged crime on the night in question, told the court he did not recall seeing any injuries when he
arrived to investigate “something of a domestic incident”.
During the cross-examination by the defence, the prosecution’s witness claimed Melvin had not mentioned anything about the gun assault during his visit. He also testified that there was no evidence to suggest Spector had been drunk, as alleged by Melvin.   Melvin is one of five women who have agreed to testify against Spector during the retrial. Each claims the mogul pulled guns on them during arguments.
The gun-loving producer is accused of the 2003 murder of actress Lana Clarkson, who died of a gunshot wound to the head in the foyer of Spector’s Alhambra, California mansion.
Spector’s lawyers maintain Clarkson shot herself.   The original trial ended with a deadlocked jury last year (07). The 68-year-old faces 18 years behind bars if convicted. (MT/WNWCCB/IG)

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