Michael Jackson's doctor Conrad Murray has been sentenced to four years in jail for involuntary manslaughter in relation to the king of pop's death.

Passing sentence in LA yesterday (29 November), Judge Michael Pastor branded Murray "a disgrace to the medical profession" whose $150,000 a month contract with the singer represented "money-for-medicine madness."

Murray was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter earlier this month after a six-week trial in which the prosecution successfully argued that he was grossly negligent in administering a dose of the powerful anaesthetic propofol to Michael Jackson, bringing about his 2009 drug-related death.

Jackson's family were in court for the sentencing hearing yesterday, including his mother Katherine and sister La Toya (above, second photo).

A family friend read out a statement on their behalf, in which they requested the court impose a suitable sentence.

"We respectfully request that you impose a sentence that demonstrates that physicians cannot sell their services to the highest bidder and lose sight of their Hippocratic Oath," they said.

But the defence argued that Murray would be serving "a lifetime sentence of self-punishment" and pointed to his flawless prior record and good deeds, such as donating supplies to Caribbean doctors and opening a clinic in a poor area of Texas.

A sheriff's department spokesman said that under guidelines to reduce crowding, Murray will likely serve less than half the four-year sentence. He may still see his medical licence revoked.

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