PHIL SPECTOR - SPECTOR LAWYERS CLAIMS CLARKSON WAS 'SUICIDAL'

SPECTOR LAWYERS CLAIMS CLARKSON WAS 'SUICIDAL'

Troubled music producer PHIL SPECTOR's defence team will claim his alleged murder victim LANA CLARKSON was depressed at the time of her death in his Los Angeles mansion. Spector, 67, is currently awaiting trial for the murder of the 40-year-old actress, who was found dead from a single gunshot to the head in the hall of his home on 3 February 2003. Spector has pleaded not guilty to the charges. In court papers, filed in Los Angeles yesterday (09APR07), Spector's lawyers claim Clarkson was despondent over the state of her finances and career before her death, and was even contemplating suicide. His attorneys quoted one of the actress' emails, dated from late 2002, in which she wrote, "I am truly at the end of this whole deal. I am going to tidy my affairs and chuck it..." Last week (ends06APR07), Deputy District Attorney ALAN JACKSON filed a motion to stop Spector's legal team from attacking "the character of victim Lana Clarkson by painting her as the kind of person who might kill herself." Jury selection for the trial is expected to resume on Monday (16APR07).