Federal Judge Richard Berman announced the sentence Tuesday night after hearing Cameron apologise and admit that he had squandered a lot of opportunities to turn his life around. Cameron, 31, admitted to dealing methamphetamine and cocaine and had faced a ten-year term. After his sentencing, Michael, 65, looked deep in thought as he left the court with ex-wife Diandra by his side. He refused to talk to the waiting press as he and Diandra left the court and made their way to a car. Ahead of the sentencing, Michael had written a letter to the judge with a plea for leniency.

Cameron, a DJ and sometime-actor, was arrested last July after he was found in possession of $18,000 worth of crystal methamphetamine in a New York hotel room. Cameron pleaded guilty earlier this year to drug dealing and his lawyers claimed it was simply a way of funding his addiction and asked the judge to consider a 47-month term.

Douglas admitted his frequent absence during Cameron's childhood and his 'bad marriage' to his first wife Diandra Douglas drove the teenager into gangs. Cameron developed a drug problem when he was 13 and Douglas said his current spell behind bars is his longest period of sobriety since. The actor said he cherished his weekly two-hour visits to Cameron at the Metropolitan Correctional Center.

He explained: "He's sober. I get to witness the wonderful young man he can be. He maintains his spirit, blames no one but himself and recognises his criminal activity began with his heroin use."

Douglas's letter joined other handwritten pleas by his wife Catherine and father Kirk for mercy. Cameron's stepmother Zeta-Jones, 40, wrote: "Never in my experience over the years has Cameron shown any signs of the disease that has tormented him, toward his siblings or has ever been abusive to us as a family at any time."









Tags: douglas, Judge Richard Berman, Cameron