OJ SIMPSON FREED ON DOUBLE BAIL!

Former football star OJ Simpson has been released from jail hours after a judge accused him of "arrogance or ignorance" for violating bail terms. District Judge Jackie Glass doubled Mr Simpson's bail to $250,000 (£127,000) after he attempted to contact a co-defendant in his armed robbery case.

Mr Simpson was arrested in September for allegedly robbing at gunpoint two sports memorabilia dealers in a hotel. Mr Simpson was acquitted of two murders in 1995 in a high-profile case. He always denied killing ex-wife Nicole and her friend Ron Goldman and was cleared in a racially charged trial. Two years later he was found liable for the deaths in a civil case.

Mr Simpson, 60, was taken into custody by his bail bondsman in Florida on Friday for violating the terms of his bail. The district attorney said that Mr Simpson had left an expletive-laced phone message with his bail bondsman, telling him to tell co-defendant Clarence Stewart how upset he was about testimony given during their preliminary hearing.

In court in Las Vegas, Nevada, Judge Glass said: "I don't know Mr Simpson what the heck you were thinking - or maybe that's the problem - you weren't. "I don't know if it's just arrogance. I don't know if it's ignorance. But you've been locked up at the Clark County Detention Center since Friday because of arrogance or ignorance - or both," she added.

Mr Simpson faces kidnapping and armed robbery charges, over allegations that he and several friends burst into a Las Vegas hotel room and robbed the two memorabilia dealers. His legal team says he was trying to retrieve stolen memorabilia that belonged to him and deny any guns were involved.

The trial is due to start on 7 April.
BBC NEWS REPORT.