Former US football player O.J. Simpson was sentenced on Friday to up to 33 years in jail for an armed robbery in a hotel room.

The verdict comes after he was acquitted in a sensational murder trial that gripped America more than a decade ago.

A judge imposed the sentence two months after jurors found the 61-year-old retired football star guilty of all 12 charges against him.

Last year, Simpson held up two sports collectors at gunpoint to retrieve memorabilia from his career.

The judge said the evidence was overwhelming, the robbery itself and the aftermath all recorded on secret audio or videotape. Simpson could be eligible for parole after nine years.

(CCTV December 6, 2008)