Older and greyer, OJ Simpson is back in court

OJ Simpson enters the Clark County District Court in Las Vegas yesterday (EPA)

America’s most famous convict, OJ Simpson, appeared in a Las Vegas courtroom on Monday to plead for a new trial in the 2007 armed robbery case for which he was sentenced to 33 years in prison.

It is the first public glimpse of the former American football star since the original trial. Simpson, now 65, was convicted of stealing sports memorabilia at gunpoint. He now claims his defence lawyer was ineffective.

In 2007, Simpson and five other men – two allegedly carrying guns – entered the Las Vegas hotel room of sports memorabilia dealer Bruce Fromong and took several items, which Simpson said had originally been stolen from him.

Simpson now claims his defence lawyer, Yale Galanter, had insisted he was within his rights to take back the items, which related to his own football career, as long as no force was used. Simpson and Galanter are both expected to testify during the five-day hearing.