Court jails Lil' Kim's bodyguard

Rapper Lil' Kim and her lawyer leaving court in July

A bodyguard for rapper Lil' Kim has been sentenced to 12 years in prison after admitting firing at least 20 times in a shoot-out with a rival gang.

The judge sentencing Suif Jackson, 34, said society needed protection from a gun-toting man with five convictions.

US authorities say the shooting took place when the entourages of Lil' Kim and Capone-N-Noreaga crossed at a New York radio station.

Lil' Kim is awaiting trial on charges she lied to a jury about the shooting.

Mr Jackson's defence lawyer said his client believed he was firing in self-defence and thought the victim was part of Capone's entourage.

A manager for Lil' Kim, Damion Butler, was also convicted of firing a gun during the shootout.

Relationship denial

Prosecutors working on Lil' Kim's perjury case say one day after the incident the rapper - whose real name is Kimberly Jones - refused to tell police the identities of those who had been with her.

They say the Grammy Award-winner testified falsely before a federal grand jury three times, including denying that she knew Mr Jackson.

Prosecutors also say Lil' Kim thanked Mr Jackson in the notes to one album and that both had been members of the Jr Mafia rap group, formed by the late rapper Notorious BIG.

Her lawyer has said she denies the charges against her.

Earlier this year he said: "These charges have been extracted out of context, magnified out of proportion.

"She's been singled out and used because of who she is in the music industry."