Tyson charged

"Former world heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson has been sentenced to 24 hours in jail for drug possession and driving under the influence.

The 41-year-old pleaded guilty in September to charges arising from an incident last December when he was stopped in his black BMW after leaving a nightclub.

Tyson was also given three years' probation at the Superior Court in Mesa, Arizona, on Monday after the judge heard authorities found bags of cocaine in Tyson's pocket and in his car.

The court heard Tyson, a convicted rapist, was seeking treatment for "various addictions" after he admitted he used cocaine "whenever I can get my hands on it".

Speaking in an almost inaudible voice in court, Tyson told the judge: "I take responsibility for my actions."

The boxer, who will begin serving his sentence on Tuesday morning, left the courthouse without speaking to reporters.

Superior Court judge Helene Abrams said she was impressed Tyson was seeking therapy for his drug addiction.

"You worked to address your addiction and self-destructive behaviour," the judge said.

Tyson had faced a possible maximum sentence of four years and three months in prison.

Prosecutor Shane Krausner recommended one year in prison and said Tyson was a multiple offender who had previously been convicted of violent crime.

"Judge, by my calculations, this is his fourth or fifth chance," Mr Krausner said.

In 1992, Tyson was convicted of rape in Indiana and in 1999, he pleaded no contest to misdemeanour assault charges in Maryland.

Mr Krauser said Tyson had only recently sought treatment for his drug addiction.

According to court documents, Tyson was stopped by police who saw him driving erratically after leaving the Pussycat Lounge nightclub in Scottsdale, Arizona.

An officer said he saw Tyson wiping a white substance off the dashboard of his black BMW, and that his speech was slurred.

Tyson told officers later that he used cocaine "whenever I can get my hands on it", and he preferred to smoke it in Marlboro cigarettes with the tobacco pulled out, according to court documents.

He also told police that he used marijuana that day and was taking the anti-depressant Zoloft, the documents state.

Authorities found bags of cocaine in Tyson's pocket and in his car.

Since his arrest, Tyson has checked himself into an inpatient treatment programme for what his lawyer called "various addictions"."

Sad sad story for this man...could have been so much more.