Published on 09:22 PM, March 11, 2020

Harvey Weinstein sentenced to 23 years in prison

A file picture of Harvey Weinstein arriving at the New York Criminal Court for another day of jury deliberations in his sexual assault trial. Photo: REUTERS

Harvey Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison by a New York judge on Wednesday, two weeks after he was convicted of rape and sexual assault.

Judge James Burke ignored the pleas of Weinstein's defense team to give their client the minimum of five years behind bars.

Weinstein, 67, was found guilty of a criminal sexual act in the first degree and rape in the third degree on February 24, in a verdict hailed by the #MeToo movement.