Spector's Lawyers Fight To Get Admission Of Guilt Thrown Out

Phil Spector's defence team lawyers are urging the judge in his murder trial to "throw out" admissions that he had shot and killed Lana Clarkson, insisting the music producer was suffering withdrawal symptoms from drugs at the time.

Spector allegedly told police officers he was responsible for the death of actress Clarkson at his California mansion in 2003.

But now his attorneys want Superior Court Judge LARRY P FIDLER to strike their client's incriminating statements from the record.

In a recently filed defence brief, obtained by Billboard.com, his attorney Bruce Cutler claims Spector was experiencing "symptoms of withdrawal from his medications, which could include hallucinations, forgetfulness, serious fatigue and/or slurring."

Cutler also claims California police, who were called to the murder scene, ignored Spector's requests for his medication after they took him into custody. The medications treated depression, seizures, stomach acid and migraines the producer suffered.

Spector faces life in prison if convicted of killing Clarkson. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is free on $1 million (GBP555,500) bail.

According to transcripts of a police interrogation, Spector initially apologised for accidentally shooting Clarkson but later said she had committed suicide.