With the appearance of his former mistress looming, home run king Barry Bonds’ perjury trial ended its first week Thursday with a bumpy finish to the account of his estranged friend and the often dry but important testimony of one of the world’s leading experts on doping in sports.

Under the relentless cross-examination of Bonds’ lawyer Allen Ruby, Steve Hoskins, a key government witness, revealed that he once paid legal fees for Bonds’ ex-girlfriend Kimberly Bell and has even spoken with her on several occasions in recent weeks. Hoskins later told prosecutor Matthew Parrella that Bell eventually paid the roughly $10,000 in legal fees back, but the disclosure established an unusually cozy relationship between two star government witnesses who claim firsthand knowledge of Bonds’ steroid use.

Bonds, 46, faces four counts of perjury and one count of obstructing justice for allegedly lying to a federal grand jury in December 2003 about using steroids as he chased baseball’s home run records.

On Monday, the trial will resume with some perfunctory testimony from two federal agents, then proceed to one of its star attractions. Bell, the ex-mistress, is expected to testify about the physical changes Bonds underwent, allegedly as a result of steroid use, in the latter years of their relationship. She is expected to be followed to the witness stand by former San Francisco Giants trainer Stan Conte and Kathy Hoskins, Steve’s sister and Bonds’ former personal shopper.

Steve Hoskins did some damage to Bonds during his day-plus on the witness stand, testifying that he learned of Bonds’ steroid use as early as 1999 as a member of the slugger’s inner circle and was told repeatedly about his use of performance drugs by Bonds and his former personal trainer, Greg Anderson. But Hoskins also sputtered under Ruby’s questioning, contradicting his own previous accounts at times and trying to fend off accusations he went after Bonds when the superstar cut off their business relationship in March 2003.

Most of Thursday’s testimony, however, came from Larry Bowers, chief scientist for the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency and the government’s chief witness to recount the damaging side effects of steroid use, from acne on the back and shoulders to sexual dysfunction and expansion of head size.

There were some uncomfortable moments at times, as Bowers was asked if one of the by-products of steroid use is shrinking of the testicles. The anti-doping expert testified that it was indeed a side effect of steroids, but Bonds’ lawyer, Ruby, was skeptical as part of questioning aimed at showing there is little scientific study to back up such conclusions.

Prosecutors intend to use witnesses such as Bell to prove that Bonds underwent physical changes as a result of steroid use, setting up a conflict over whether there is valid evidence to establish whether any such changes can be conclusively linked to steroids. Bonds has denied knowingly using steroids, although his lawyer told the jury in opening statements he may have used newfangled steroids unwittingly before he testified before the grand jury.

Bowers did not budge when pressed by Ruby on the lack of scientific proof of side effects and steroids, saying there is strong anecdotal evidence and that it would be impossible to feed steroids to people for clinical studies on the impacts. But Ruby did make headway on a key point — that one of the designer steroids linked to Bonds — THG, or “the clear” — was not detected by anti-doping agencies until 2004 and 2005, well after Bonds testified before the grand jury. The defense argues that even anti-doping experts did not know of such substances when athletes such as Bonds were taking them.

Prosecutors allege that Bonds received steroids from his personal trainer, Greg Anderson, who has been jailed during the trial for refusing to testify. Anderson’s lawyers made a bid for his release on Thursday, but U.S. District Judge Susan Illston has not ruled on the request and has indicated he should remain locked up.

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