Oscar Pistorius Sentenced to 6 Years in Prison for Murder of Girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp
His defense will not appeal the ruling.
— -- Oscar Pistorius, the world’s most famous Paralympic athlete, was sentenced today to six years in prison for the 2013 Valentine’s Day murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.
He remains in a holding cell and will be taken straight to prison. His defense team will not appeal the sentence. With good behavior, he could be eligible for parole in a few years.
Pistorius, 27, was originally found guilty of culpable homicide — similar to manslaughter — in September 2014. Judge Thokozile Masipa ruled that the athlete acted negligently when he shot Steenkamp through his bathroom door in his Pretoria home but that his actions weren’t intentional and sentenced him to five years in prison.
He spent a year behind bars in Pretoria before being granted parole and released in October.
However, the Supreme Court of Appeals overturned the verdict last December and found Pistorius guilty of murder, saying he should have known that firing his gun would kill whoever was behind the door, regardless of who he thought it was.
The National Prosecuting Authority has said it wanted Pistorius to spend a minimum of 15 years in prison for Steenkamp’s murder. He claims he thought an intruder was in the bathroom.
Pistorius’ attempt to overturn the upgraded murder conviction failed earlier this year.
The sentencing hearing was presided over by Masipa.
Pistorius competed at the Olympic Games in London in 2012, making history as the first amputee allowed to compete against able-bodied athletes.