Watterson in tears as she is jailed

Arizona Devine Watterson is starting an eight year prison term for the manslaughter of William 'Billy' Rogers.

Watterson cried in court as Acting Deemster Turner announced the sentence.

She will also serve an additional year for perverting public justice, which was when she accused her friend, Christopher Blakely, of Mr Rogers' murder.

Watterson's defence said throughout the trial that Mr Rogers received the fatal stab wound by accident in a stabbing game.

Sian Cowper reports (text, below, from attached audio file):

Members of Billy Rogers' family broke down in tears as the sentence was read out.

A list of Watterson's 20 previous convictions were read to the court, the first of which she received when she was only 15.

A statement from Christopher Blakely, the man Watterson falsely accused of murder, was also read out, which described his arrest at gunpoint as 'terrifying', and a 60 hour custodial period as 'lonely and frightening'.

Details of Watterson's past, describing her upbringing as unhappy, were read out.

Her defence advocate described her life as 'pretty rotten'.

Acting Deemster Turner said this was a chance for Watterson, who has three children, to start a new life.