US ex-lawyer Alex Murdaugh sentenced to life in prison

The US former lawyer Alex Murdaugh has been sentenced to life in prison, following being convicted of murdering his wife and son.

Judge Clifton Newman gave Murdaugh two life sentences at a hearing in Walterboro, South Carolina.

They will be served consecutively. Mr Newman called the case "one of the most troubling" he had seen.

Murdaugh spoke briefly in court twice, to maintain his innocence.

The high-profile case, which featured allegations of corruption, drug abuse and a failed hitman suicide plot, has inspired documentaries on Netflix and HBO.