Guilty! Oscar Pistorius Convicted of Murder by Supreme Court

03 Dec, 2015

Oscar Pistorius was convicted of murder on Thursday by a South African appeals court that described the once-glittering story of the double-amputee Olympian and Reeva Steenkamp, the girlfriend he killed in his home in 2013, as “a human tragedy of Shakespearean proportions.”

The Supreme Court of Appeal overturned a lower court’s conviction on the less serious charge of manslaughter, adding another twist to a case that riveted people around the world because of its gripping saga of a celebrity athlete’s plunge from grace by his own hand.

“The accused ought to have been found guilty of murder on the basis that he had fired the fatal shots with criminal intent,” Justice Lorimer Eric Leach said in the courtroom in Blomefontein, in which Steenkamp’s mother, June, sat impassively. Pistorius was not there.

The murder conviction means Pistorius will almost certainly go back to jail, where he spent one year of a 5-year prison sentence before being put under house arrest at his uncle’s mansion in Pretoria in October.

The minimum sentence for murder in South Africa is 15 years, but exceptional circumstances in the case of the former track star, including time already served, his disability and status as a first-time offender, could mean he’ll get a lower sentence.

Sentencing is up to the North Gauteng High Court, where Pistorius was tried. South African media said Judge Thokozile Masipa, who presided over the original trial, will handle the matter. No sentencing date has been set.

The National Prosecuting Authority will wait for word from the trial court about possible sentencing dates, said Luvuyo Mfaku, a spokesman for the authority.

The Pistorius family said in a statement: “The legal team will study the finding and we will be guided by them in terms of options going forward.”

Pistorius, a multiple Paralympic champion, became the first amputee to run at the Olympics and the able-bodied world championships. He was known as “Blade Runner” for his carbon-fiber running blades.

Steenkamp, a model who appeared in a television reality show, had planned to give a speech touching on domestic abuse and family relationships at a school on the day she died. In a tweet the day before she died, she wrote: “What do you have up your sleeve for your love tomorrow???”

Pistorius, 29, insisted he shot Steenkamp by mistake, thinking there was an intruder behind the door of a toilet cubicle in his home. The prosecution said Pistorius shot Steenkamp during an argument.

Reeva Steenkamp’s father, Barry, told South African television channel ANN7 that the judgment was fair.

“Let us now all get on with our lives,” he said. His voice breaking with emotion, he said of his daughter: “I’m sure she’ll be able to rest as well now.”

AP

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