US President Donald Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen, who once said he’d take a bullet for him, has lashed out at his ex-boss' "dirty deeds" as he was given a 36-month prison sentence.

Cohen is the first member of Mr Trump's inner circle to be jailed over the special counsel's inquiry into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

He admitted lying to Congress, campaign finance violations and tax evasion.

In a New York court Cohen, 52, blamed his crimes on Mr Trump.

The disgraced attorney told Judge William Pauley on Wednesday that Mr Trump had caused him to "follow a path of darkness rather than light".

He told the court his "weakness was a blind loyalty to Donald Trump" and that he "felt it was my duty to cover up his dirty deeds".

Cohen will serve his term concurrently with a two-month sentence he was given for lying to Congress about a possible Trump Tower project in Moscow, a charge levelled by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

The judge gave Cohen until 6 March to report to Otisville prison in upstate New York.

In addition to the jail term, he was also ordered to forfeit nearly $2m (£1.6m).

As he left the court, Cohen did not pause to speak to journalists.

Mr Trump ignored reporters as they asked for his reaction later at the White House. (BBC)