Comedian Bill Cosby has been sentenced to three to 10 years in state prison for sexual assault.

Cosby, 81, has been categorised as a sexually violent predator, inferring that he must undergo counselling for life and be listed on the sex offender registry.

At a retrial in April, Cosby was found guilty of three counts of sexual assault for drugging and molesting Andrea Constand in 2004.

Cosby’s request for bail pending appeal was also denied.

Ahead of the sentence, the judge designated Cosby a sexually violent predator, despite the defence’s argument that Cosby’s age and blindness meant he was not a threat.

The disgraced comedian’s two-day hearing at Montgomery County Courthouse in Pennsylvania began on Monday with legal debate over the violent predator label.

Psychologist Kristen Dudley testified on Monday that Cosby showed signs of a mental disorder and was likely to reoffend.

The Montgomery County District Attorney, Kevin Steele, called for five to 10 years in jail for aggravated indecent assault.Cosby’s defence is pushing instead for house arrest.

The comedian was arrested in 2015 and a deadlocked jury resulted in a mistrial in June 2017.