Jurors hear doctor detail Jackson’s care

The recording, which is more than two hours, has never been played in public before.

It gave police their first hint that Jackson’s death was not due to natural causes and that he had been given the powerful anesthetic propofol in an effort to cure his extreme insomnia.

“He’s not able to sleep naturally,’’ Murray told the detectives early in the interview.

Murray told the detectives how he met Jackson and walked them through the treatments he gave the singer on the day he died, including doses of the sedatives lorazepam and Versed.

Jackson remained awake for hours after returning home about 1 a.m. on June 25, 2009, after concert rehearsals.

Murray told detectives he relented to Jackson’s demand for his “milk’’ - a nickname the doctor said the singer used for propofol, which is a milky-white liquid.

Detective Scott Smith was confused by the reference at first, asking whether Jackson wanted hot or cold milk. Murray then explained it was an anesthetic.

Defense attorney Ed Chernoff told the detectives that Jackson was familiar with how the drug was administered through an IV.

Murray told the detectives he took all possible precautions - keeping oxygen and a pulse monitoring machine nearby - and constantly warned Jackson that using propofol was an artificial way to sleep.

Prosecutors contend that Murray was reckless by giving Jackson propofol outside a hospital setting and without the proper monitoring equipment.

Authorities say Murray gave Jackson a lethal dose of propofol and other sedatives while trying to help the singer. Defense attorneys say Jackson gave himself the lethal dose after Murray left the room.