Oscar Pistorius has been sentenced to six years in prison for the murder of former girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
The former Paralympian athlete shot Ms Steenkamp four times through a locked toilet door in February 2013. He admitted to shooting her, but claimed to misidentify his girlfriend for an intruder, and said he acted out of fear.
Pistorius had his initial manslaughter conviction upgraded to murder on appeal. He has already served 12 months of the original five-year prison sentence, and until today’s trial was being held under house arrest at his uncle’s mansion.
Pistorius arrived in court facing a minimum term of 15 years behind bars, but Judge Thokozile Masipa, who heard the original trial, referred to “substantial and compelling circumstances” for reducing the sentence, that outweighed the aggravating factors.
This is the moment Pistorius was sentenced.
WATCH: Oscar Pistorius sentenced to six years in prison for murder. #SSNHQ https://t.co/GYjbYkQplC
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) July 6, 2016
Acknowledging the aggravating factors, Justice Masipa told the court:
“The accused used a lethal weapon and fired not one but four shots into the toilet door knowing full well that there was someone behind the door. The toilet was a small cubicle and there was no room for escape for the person behind the door. The accused had been trained in the use of and handling of fire arms.”
The judge continued by recounting the mitigating factors that she believed justified a reduced sentence of six years. According to the judge, Pistorius “approached the bathroom in the belief an intruder was inside. He was without his prosthesis and felt vulnerable. His belief of an intruder is supported by his actions when he realised it was the deceased in the toilet.”
“He was distraught and kept on asking God to save the deceased’s life.”
Justice Masipa added: “I am of the view that a long term of imprisonment would not serve justice in this case.”
Pistorius’s defence were appealing for a non-custodial sentence and highlighted anger management workshops he had participated in as proof of his rehabilitation. Judge Masipa responded by saying the rehabilitation programmes on offer may not be sufficient with the sentence being upgraded to murder, but said he was a “good candidate for rehabilitation.”
Pistorius’s brother Carl has tweeted this in reaction to the verdict.
https://twitter.com/carlpistorius/status/750615981001703425?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
