US Mother acquitted over child's death lied to police

THE 25-year-old mother acquitted of killing her toddler in a trial that has become a US media sensation was yesterday sentenced to four years in jail for lying to police investigators.

Casey Anthony, 25, will remain in prison for only a few weeks. She has already served nearly three years and will receive credit for good behaviour. Florida judge Belvin Perry also fined her $1,000 on each count.

She was convicted of lying about working at the Universal Studios theme park, about leaving her daughter with a non-existent nanny, about leaving the girl with friends and about receiving a phone call from her.

Anthony's acquittal on Tuesday on the charge of first-degree murder generated an outpouring of anger among many Americans - protesters outside the court yesterday held signs saying "Arrest the Jury!!" and "Jurors 1-12 Guilty of Murder."

Prosecutors contended Anthony, then 22, suffocated two-year-old Caylee with duct tape because she was interfering with the single mother's desire to be with her boyfriend and friends.

The defence team said that the toddler accidentally drowned in the family swimming pool, and Anthony's apparently carefree life hid emotional distress caused by sexual abuse from her father, who they claimed helped her make the drowning look like a murder. Her father firmly denied both the cover-up and abuse claims. The prosecution called those claims absurd, and said no-one makes an accident look like a murder.

Threats have been made against her, and she is being vilified online _ more than 17,000 people "liked" an "I hate Casey Anthony" page on Facebook.