It has emerged that the doctor took a starring role in a documentary, Michael Jackson and The Doctor: A Fatal Friendship, which began filming right after Jackson’s death in 2009.

Industry insiders expect that international interest in the film will prove highly profitable for Murray. A book deal and chat show appearances are also expected.

While Murray faces a maximum of four years in jail, it is reported that he could walk free within months. He may even be put under house arrest rather than be incarcerated in a jail, according to sources in Los Angeles law enforcement.

New guidelines to prevent jail overcrowding mean that many convicts no longer serve whole sentences – especially non-violent criminals.

The documentary featuring Murray is set to show on Channel 4 this week, and is said to include many personal and unflattering revelations about Jackson on the part of Murray, such as that the King of Pop needed “personal hygiene changes”.

The doctor was in debt when he first met Jackson in 2008. He owed more than $200,000 (around £144,000) to a finance company and more than $135,000 (around £85,000) to a leasing company.

Jackson paid him a reported salary of $150,000 (£94,000) a month to be his personal doctor.