Milosevic daughter gets suspended sentence

Marija Milosevic is said to have a fiery temper

Slobodan Milosevic's daughter, Marija, has received a suspended prison term for firing a gun on the day her father was arrested in March 2001.

The court in Belgrade found her guilty of "endangering public safety" and illegal possession and use of firearms and sentenced her to eight months in jail, suspended for two years.

Ms Milosevic will only go to jail if she offends again

Ms Milosevic told the court she was under the influence of alcohol and sedatives at the time and fired five shots "out of despair".

She said she had fired into the air, though some reports said she had fired at the car of a government official, trying to negotiate with Mr Milosevic.

Prior to the arrest Slobodan Milosevic barricaded himself inside his residence with his wife Mirjana, daughter and close aides, while police surrounded the compound.

Police officers also had to struggle against pro-Milosevic protesters gathering in support of the ex-president, who had been toppled five months earlier.

Nervous breakdown

After lengthy negotiations, Mr Milosevic eventually surrendered and later was handed over to the United Nations' war crime tribunal in The Hague.

The suspended sentence, a lenient punishment, means that Ms Milosevic does not have to go to jail unless she commits a punishable offence in the next two years.

Marija Milosevic, who is 35 years old, is reported to have a fiery temper.

She is said to have suffered a nervous breakdown after her father lost power.

She shot dead her former lover's dog and smashed windows of her Belgrade home.

Press reports say she has now moved to the Yugoslav republic of Montenegro.