Image source, Pool

"Due to some additional legal matters at hand, I’m not able to give a full formal statement at this time," Derek Chauvin says, speaking to the court for the first time.

"Very briefly though, I do want to give my condolences to the Floyd family.

"There's going to be some other information in the future that would be of interest - and I hope things will give you some peace of mind - thank you," he concludes.

Chauvin's lawyer is making a last appeal to get his client a more lenient sentence.

He says Chauvin's head is "littered with what ifs".

What if he didn't work that day, what if he didn't take the call, Eric Nelson says.

He says that Chauvin was not due to work that day, and had volunteered to work due to short staffing.

"He’s not coming into this as a career criminal," Nelson says.

"He’s coming into this never having violated the law. Because he lived an honourable life."

Chauvin's lawyer, Eric Nelson, begins by saying that he does not plan to "re-litigate" the case today in his remarks.

"This case is at the epicentre of a cultural and political divide," he says, referencing the protests against racism and policing that raged after Floyd's death.

"There are a great number of people who will view any sentence you pronounce as overly lenient," he tells the judge, adding: "And there are an equal number of people who pronounce any sentence you decide as draconian and overbearing."

"The impact of this case on this community has been profound," he continues.

"It has weaved its way into nearly every facet of our lives, from the entertainment we consume to presidential politics."

Carolyn Pawlenty, Derek Chauvin’s mother, is now speaking.

“I am here to speak on behalf of my entire family,” she begins.

On 25 May 2020, not only did Chauvin's life change forever “but so did mine," she continues.

"My son is a good man," she says, denying that her son is a racist.

Image source, Pool

She says that even on his days off, he would call in to work to see if they needed help at the station.

"Even though I have never spoken publicly. I have supported him 100% and always will," says Pawlenty.

She says that he relives his crime every day.

"I've seen the toll it has taken on him," she tells the judge, pleading for a lenient sentence.

"I have always believed in your innocence and I will never waiver from that," she says, addressing her son directly.

Prosecutors for the state have now finished their remarks.

Chauvin's mother - Carolyn Pawlenty - is now speaking for the first time.

"When you sentence my son you will also be sentencing me," she says to the court.

Image source, Reuters

Apart from Chauvin, three other Minneapolis police officers have been charged over the death of Floyd.

The role of each officer during Floyd's arrest was described by prosecutor Matthew Frank in his sentencing remarks just now.

The officers were seen on camera assisting Chauvin as he knelt on Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes.

So what's happening to them?

The three other officers involved in Floyd’s death are J Alexander Kueng, Tou Thao and Thomas Lane. Each is facing two charges of aiding and abetting second-degree unintentional murder and manslaughter.

Kueng, Lane and Thao are expected to stand trial together in March 2022.

All four officers are separately also facing charges of violating Floyd's civil rights.

Read more here

Prosecutor Matthew Frank begins his remarks by thanking the officers that testified against Derek Chauvin during his trial.

“Those officers didn’t hide behind a blue wall,” he says.

"Being a police officer is a difficult job, no doubt about it," he continues.

"But we give them a substantial amount of training. Most do it right."

He says the case was never about policing, but rather about how Chauvin decided to harm Floyd, rather than provide him with care.

"This was about Chauvin disregarding all that training he received and suffocating Floyd to death."

Frank is laying out the prosecution's argument for why Chauvin should receive a 30-year prison sentence.

Philonise Floyd, the victim's brother, says his life changed forever on 25 May, 2020 and talks about how he has embarked on campaigning around the world on behalf of his brother George - so his death is not in vain.

Philonise says he hasn't had a real night's sleep because he is haunted by nightmares of the sound of his brother pleading for his life in the videos taken of his death.

"George’s life mattered," he tells the court, at times wiping away tears.

Image source, Pool

He says the Floyd family have been given a "life sentence" and "will never be able to get George back".

He lists the experiences Floyd will miss out on during the life of his young daughter - including proms, her sweet 16, and walking her down the aisle at her wedding.

He asks for the maximum sentence for Chauvin.

The BBC's Shrai Popat is speaking to protesters outside the court, who are listening in to the hearing on a live feed.

The crowd has been steadily growing in the last few hours, but appears smaller than the one that gathered on 20 April when Chauvin was convicted.

So far today, we've heard from four members of Floyd's large family, who have each described to the judge the impact of Chauvin's crime.

• His young daughter Gianna said she misses him, but he is "still here" in her memory
• His nephew Brandon said he will be "forever traumatised" by what happened
• His brother Terrence asked Chauvin why he murdered his brother, and "what was going through your head?" as he kneeled on him
• Philonise, another one of Floyd's brothers - like the two other men who spoke - urged the maximum sentence for Chauvin
• As each family member spoke Chauvin sat silently in the courtroom in a grey suit, tie and blue hospital mask

Prosecutors are now laying out their argument for why Chauvin should receive a 30-year sentence.

Since he was found guilty on 20 April, Chauvin has been held in solitary confinement at a state prison at Oak Park Heights.

In the facility's 40-year history, it has never had an escape. According to the National Geographic series, America's Hardest Prisons, the facility is built partially underground.

The building, which is about 25 miles from downtown Minneapolis, has a reputation for housing some of the city's most dangerous criminals.

Chauvin has been kept in solitary confinement, rather than in the general prison population, for his own safety. Until his conviction, he was allowed to remain at home on bail, including during his trial.

“Mr Chauvin is not the average offender,” his lawyer has written to the judge, in a plea for leniency.

“Prior to this incident, Mr Chauvin led a hard-working, law-abiding life and has experienced no legal issues until the point of his arrest.”

Defence attorney Eric Nelson added that Chauvin has suffered heart damage due to his work as a police officer, and will have a shortened life span as a result.

He also said Chauvin would be a "target in prison” and argued a “stringent probationary sentence” that allowed him to remain out of jail would be more appropriate.

Shrai Popat
BBC News, Minneapolis

Today Minneapolis feels hopeful for justice.

“It seems as though it’s like a big game day,” Justin Blake said, standing outside Hennepin County Court.

“You get up with great aspirations and now we’re trying to see how the game plays out.”

Blake added that he’s hoping Chauvin will be sentenced for 35 years or more.

Blake’s nephew, Jacob, was shot seven times by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, last summer. No officers were charged.

He was joined outside the courthouse today by Jacob’s father, Jacob Blake Sr.

“It’s imperative that I’m here today to show the unity between the families,” Blake Sr told BBC News.

“My son wasn’t treated like a human being, George Floyd wasn’t treated like a human being.”

Read more:

Should Wisconsin police have used different tactics?

Image source, Pool

Terrence Floyd addresses the court.

"I'm here representing my brother," he begins, after a deep sigh.

"On May 25, 2020, my brother was murdered - everyone knows - by Derek Chauvin."

He says he felt compelled to speak today because "I wanted to know from the man himself why".

"What were you thinking?" he asked Chauvin.

"What was going through your head when you had your knee on my brother's neck?

"When you knew that he posed no threat anymore, when he was handcuffed, why didn't you at least get up?

"Why did you stay there?"

He says he has to explain to his daughter why his brother died, "because that's history".

"On behalf of my family, we want to see the maximum sentence," he continues, adding: "We don't want to see no more slaps on the wrist."

Image source, Pool

Next up we hear from Brandon Williams, the nephew of George Floyd.

Speaking on behalf of the family, he condemns his uncle's murder and what he describes as Derek Chauvin's "total lack of consideration of human life".

He says it is "humanely impossible" to convey what he and his family have gone through in the last 13 months and that they have been "forever traumatised" and "forever broken" by what happened.

He points out that while he may spend time behind bars, Chauvin - unlike Floyd - will be able to see his family again.

He requests the former officer get the maximum sentence.

Image source, Pool

Floyd's seven-year-old daughter, Gianna, is the first of four people to give victim impact statements.

"I ask about him all the time," says Gianna.

A shaven-headed Chauvin, wearing a grey suit and face mask, listens intently as the girl speaks via video link.

Asked if she wishes that her dad was still here, she responds: "Yeah, but he is."

She says she wants to play with him when they meet again someday and that he used to help her brush her teeth.

"I miss you and I love him," she says.

Judge Peter Cahill has now entered the room, and court is now in session.

The sentencing hearing is expected to last at least an hour.

But it could be more, depending on whether Chauvin's lawyers file any additional motions, how long Floyd's family members take to give their victim impact statements and whether Chauvin himself elects to speak.

We are now two minutes away from the anticipated start time of Derek Chauvin's sentencing - scheduled for 13:30 local time (19:30 BST).

We expect to hear from a number of people - including George Floyd's loved ones - during the hearing.

Derek Chauvin will have the chance to make a statement at Friday's sentencing, but legal experts say he is unlikely to do so.

The ex-officer already invoked his Fifth Amendment privilege during his trial. This refers to the US constitutional right to avoid self-incrimination by declining to answer questions or give testimony against oneself.

Sometimes those found guilty of crimes will speak at their own sentencing hearings in order to express remorse and try to get a lesser sentence.

But experts quoted in US media say Chauvin is unlikely to speak due to the risk of implicating himself in any future appeals and in the pending federal civil rights case against him.

Image source, Reuters

Earlier today, Judge Peter Cahill denied Derek Chauvin's request for a new trial.

His legal team entered the request last month, alleging misconduct by prosecutors and jurors. Lawyer Eric Nelson complained about the decision to not move the trial outside Minneapolis, among other matters.

“The publicity here was so pervasive and so prejudicial before and during this trial that it amounted to a structural defect in the proceedings,” he wrote in the motion.

In an order issued Thursday, Judge Cahill said the former officer's team “failed to demonstrate that the court abused its discretion or committed error such as defendant was deprived of his constitutional right".

He also denied a request for a separate hearing to examine possible juror misconduct.

Fourteen days of testimony and 45 witnesses - here are the key moments from the trial of Derek Chauvin over the death of George Floyd.