SHAMED Bill Cosby laughed after he was sentenced to three to ten years for drugging and sexually assaulting a woman. The disgraced comedian, 81, was seen joking with his legal team in Montgomery County court before he was led away in handcuffs last night. 19 Shamed Bill Cosby's booking mugshot after he was processed at the Montgomery County Jail 19 The disgraced comedian, 81, was led out of the court in handcuffs carrying a wooden cane Credit: AP:Associated Press Judge Steven O'Neill branded Cosby a "sexually violent predator" as he jailed him for three counts of indecent assault following the drugging and sex attack of former friend Andrea Constand at his Philadelphia home in 2004. "It is time for justice. Mr Cosby, this has all circled back to you. The time has come," Judge O'Neill told the comedian. However, Cosby spokesman Andrew Wyatt said his client was "doing great" after learning of his prison sentence. The judge yesterday said the evidence was bolstered by five other accusers, including supermodel Janice Dickenson, 63. 19 Cosby was also seen smiling as he arrived for his sentencing Credit: AP:Associated Press 19 The fallen TV star now faces up to ten years in a state prison Credit: AFP or licensors It completes the dizzying fall from grace for the comedian- who became the first big star to be convicted for sex abuse since the start of the #MeToo movement. Cosby stumbled as he was led out of the court in handcuffs carrying a wooden cane. When asked to comment on his sentence, he said nothing. Cosby emptied his pockets and removed his tie before being taken into custody for his official prison mugshot, reports TMZ. He will spend the first few days of his prison sentence at the Montgomery County Jail outside Philadelphia. From there, he'll be taken to SCI Phoenix, a brand new 3,830-bed state prison outside Philadelphia, where staff will assess his physical, medical and security needs. 19 Cosby's victim Andrea Constand (c) attends a press conference after the sentencing Credit: AFP or licensors 19 The fallen star was flanked by sheriff s following his sentencing Credit: AP:Associated Press The fallen star's lawyers have already vowed to appeal the conviction. His spokesman Andrew Wyatt branded it the most racist and sexist trial in he history of the United States. Mr Wyatt said: "Mr Cosby knows that God is watching over him. He knows that these are lies. They persecuted Jesus and look what happened. "I'm not saying Mr Cosby is Jesus, but we know what this country has done to black men for centuries. "So Mr Cosby is doing fine. He's holding up well and everybody who wants to say anything negative, you're a joke as well." Montgomery County Court Judge O'Neill also decided to designate Cosby a "sexually violent predator" under Pennsylvania law. 19 Andrea Constand embraces former model Janice Dickinson Credit: AP:Associated Press 19 Cosby is escorted out of the Montgomery County Correctional Facility Credit: AP:Associated Press That means he will have to undergo monthly counselling and register as a sex offender with police for the rest of his life. Neighbours and schools will be notified of his address and crimes. Cosby also declined the opportunity to speak before his sentence came down, and afterwards he sat and chatted with his spokesman and a lawyer, seemingly in good spirits. His wife of 54 years, Camille, was not in court but did later release a statement saying prosecutors had used "falsified evidence" to win a conviction against him. Cosby's victim Andrea Constand smiled upon hearing the punishment and was hugged by her friends in the courtroom. The star's lawyers for bail but this was refused by the judge. 19 Cosby's wife of 54 years, Camille, was not in court to see him led away Credit: Reuters 19 Cosby will have to register as a sex offender with police for the rest of his life Credit: 2018 Getty Images 19 Cosby's lawyers had asked that he be allowed to remain free on bail Credit: 2018 Getty Images 19 Accuser Victoria Valentino reacts after the comedian was sentenced to three to 10 years Credit: Getty Images - Getty Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele rejected the notion that Cosby's age and infirmity entitle him to mercy. "He was good at hiding this for a long time. Good at suppressing this for a long time. So it's taken a long time to get there," Steele said. After the sentencing Steele said heused his fame and fortune to "hide his true self and hide his crimes," intimidating his victims into keeping them silent for decades. More than 50 other women also have accused Cosby of sexual abuse going back decades, with most complaints too old to prosecute. The Constand case was the only allegation that led to criminal charges. On the first day of the sentencing hearing, she said in a written statement that the attack had turned her into a woman who was "stuck in a holding pattern for most of her adult life, unable to heal fully or to move forward." "Bill Cosby took my beautiful, healthy young spirit and crushed it," she wrote. 19 The Hollywood star's new home will be a cell at the State Correctional Institution at Phoenix Credit: AP:Associated Press 19 The high-secure state prison is surrounded by fences topped with razor wire Credit: AP:Associated Press 19 Prison staff will assess Cosby's physical, medical and security needs Credit: Reuters 19 A number of accusers, including model Janice Dickinson, were on hand for the sentencing hearing Credit: AP:Associated Press Prosecutors had asked for the maximum prison sentence of between five and 10 years, citing the nature of Cosby's crime as well as his alleged history of misconduct. They had also asked the judge to levy a £20,000 fine on Cosby and make him pay court costs. If ever he comes up for parole, prosecutors want him to submit to the "psycho-sexual evaluation" he had refused prior to sentencing. Citing Cosby's frailty and blindness, Cosby's lawyers had asked for house arrest rather than prison time. Cosby's first trial in 2017 ended in a mistrial when jurors could not reach a unanimous verdict. Soon after that proceeding, a series of women began levelling sexual misconduct allegations against influential men, launching the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements. 19 Andrea Constand, centre left, stands behind Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele Credit: AP:Associated Press 19 Some of Cosby's accusers outside of court house waiting for the shamed star to arrive on Monday Credit: Rex Features 19 The 81-year-old fallen star was facing up to 30 years in prison Credit: AFP or licensors Kathy McKee, a former actress who has accused Cosby of raping her, told CNN that listening to the news about his sentencing stirred up some "very difficult and deep emotions." Still, she said she is happy Judge O'Neill sentenced Cosby accordingly and is grateful to Andrea Constand "for standing strong." "I wanted 30 years, but I'm very happy to know Mr. Cosby will do time in prison," said Chelan Lasha, who gave tearful testimony in court about the time she says Cosby drugged and groped her. When the ruling was announced, a woman in courtroom put her fist into the air and whispered, "Yessss!" Cosby, whose estimated fortune once topped £300m, broke barriers in the 1960s as the first black actor to star in a network show, "I Spy." Quotes from the hearing and reactions to Bill Cosby's sentence "Bill Cosby took my beautiful, healthy young spirit and crushed it. He robbed me of my health and vitality, my open nature, and my trust in myself and others. ...We may never know the full extent of his double life as a sexual predator but his decades-long reign of terror as a serial rapist is over." Andrea Constand, in her victim impact statement. "No one is above the law. And no one should be treated disproportionately because of who they are, where they live, or even their wealth, celebrity or philanthropy. ...I am not permitted to treat him any differently because of who he is, or who he was. ...It is time for justice.<doc-sep>Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window) Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) NORRISTOWN, Pa. – Bill Cosby burst out laughing in court on Tuesday – moments after he was sentenced to three to 10 years in state prison for a 2004 sex assault. The 81-year-old convicted sex offender was seen cracking jokes with his team in Montgomery County court, as sheriff’s officers swooped in to take him directly into custody. Cosby handed over his wallet, tie and watch to authorities before Judge Steven O’Neill ordered him remanded. “My reasons for the sentence are the reasons I’m relying on in denying this defendant bail. This is a serious crime he’s been sentenced for,” O’Neill explained in court. Cosby had been free on $1 million bail since his arrest in December 2015. The courtroom was cleared before Cosby, wearing red suspenders and a white shirt, was cuffed from the front and led out of the courtroom through a hallway. He carried his cane in both hands. Meanwhile, one of his dozens of accusers, supermodel Janice Dickinson, was nearly booted from the packed courtroom for loudly laughing during a break in the proceedings.<doc-sep>NEW A vastly improved search engine helps you find the latest on companies, business leaders, and news more easily.<doc-sep>
Bill Cosby reportedly laughed in court as a judge branded him a "sexually violent predator" and sentenced him to between three and 10 years in prison for sexual assault. The shamed comedian is said to have been seen joking with his legal team before being marched out of court in shackles on Tuesday, according to the New York Post. Cosby, 81, was found guilty in April of three counts of aggravated indecent assault for the drugging and sexual assault of Andrea Constand at his Philadelphia home in 2004. He is the first celebrity to be convicted of sexual abuse since the start of the MeToo movement. Cosby must spend at least three years in a Pennsylvania prison before he becomes eligible for supervised release, though he could end up behind bars for up to a decade. (Image: REUTERS) (Image: AFP) Judge Steven O'Neill ordered Cosby to be jailed immediately, denying Cosby's request for bail while lawyers appeal the conviction. He was escorted out a back door of the courthouse with his hands and feet shackled and driven away in a black sport utility vehicle. Minutes earlier, Constand left court with her arms folded, a smile spreading across her face as other women who have accused Cosbycame to hug her. Several of those women spoke to reporters in the rain outside the courtroom. "I wanted 30 years, but I'm very happy to know Mr. Cosby will do time in prison," said Chelan Lasha, who gave tearful testimony in court about the time she says Cosby drugged and groped her in the 1980s. (Image: AFP) (Image: AFP) O'Neill also fined Cosby $25,000 and ordered him to pay the costs of the prosecution. There was no visible reaction from the disgraced entertainer as he learned his fate. "Equal justice under the law does not allow different treatment because of who he is or who he was," O'Neill said. Cosby cemented his family-friendly reputation playing the affable Dr. Cliff Huxtable in the 1980s television comedy The Cosby Show. "He hid behind Dr. Cliff Huxtable," Kevin Steele, the county district attorney who led the prosecution, told reporters afterwards. "Before he was taken away in handcuffs, a lot of people believed this was who he was. We know otherwise." (Image: REUTERS) After the sentencing, Andrew Wyatt, Cosby's spokesman, read a lengthy statement in which he decried what he called "the most racist and sexist trial in the history of the United States." O'Neill also decided to designate Cosby a "sexually violent predator" under Pennsylvania law, which means Cosby will have to undergo monthly counseling and register as a sex offender with police for the rest of his life. Neighbours and schools will be notified of his address, certain movements and crimes, as will Constand. When prosecutors told Cosby in court he would not have to inform Constand of his movements himself but that a proxy would do so, he replied: "Good!" Cosby has denied any wrongdoing. Asked if he wanted to address the court with a statement before sentencing, Cosby declined through his lawyers. His lawyers had asked that Cosby be placed under house arrest, citing his age and frailty. (Image: REUTERS/Brendan McDermid) (Image: X90143) More than 50 women have accused Cosby of sexual abuse going back decades, with most complaints too old to prosecute. The Constand case was the only allegation that led to criminal charges. Constand said in a written statement submitted to the court on Monday that the attack had turned her into a woman who was "stuck in a holding pattern for most of her adult life, unable to heal fully or to move forward." "Bill Cosby took my beautiful, healthy young spirit and crushed it," she wrote. Cosby's first trial in 2017 ended in a mistrial when jurors could not reach a unanimous verdict. Prison officials will process Cosby at the nearby state prison in Schwenksville before determining in which of Pennsylvania's 22 male prisons he will serve his sentence, prison spokeswoman Amy Worden wrote in an email. He will be one of 86 inmates over age 80 held by Pennsylvania's Department of Corrections, where the two oldest inmates are both 91, Worden said.