Oscar Pistorius to be sentenced for girlfriend's murder on July 6
Tue Jun 21, 2016 02:20:pm Sports
1.9K By sosa hills
Six-time Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius will be sentenced for the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on July 6, a judge has ruled in South Africa.
The 29-year-old could face a 15-year jail term for shooting dead Steenkamp through a toilet door at his home in Pretoria in the early hours of Valentine's Day in 2013.
Pistorius was initially handed a five-year sentence after being found guilty of culpable homicide (manslaughter), but after serving almost one year behind bars, the double amputee's conviction was upgraded to murder on appeal.
On day three of the sentencing hearing, Pistorius sobbed as he removed his prosthetic legs to demonstrate his limited movement as part of the defence's argument.
Pistorius's defence team is arguing that the double-amputee is a vulnerable man who deserves leniency when he is sentenced.
Reports said he goes from being a fully grown, fit looking man, to suddenly being incredibly vulnerable, someone who you can push over with a hand.
"That's what he (lawyer Barry Roux) wanted to show. I think that will play very heavily with the judge.
"Immediately afterwards, you could see the lawyer also emphasised that Oscar Pistorius would not like it, and he clearly did not like it."
Mr Roux was presenting his final arguments to Judge Thokozile Masipa at Pistorius' re-sentencing hearing.
He said there were "substantial and compelling circumstances" that allowed the judge to deviate from the minimum term of 15 years in prison.
Roux told the court that "there is no purpose served" in sending his client back to prison, while prosecutor Gerrie Nel argued that Pistorius should serve a minimum of 15 years behind bars because he has still not provided an "acceptable explanation" for his actions.
Pistorius has maintained that he mistook Steenkamp for an intruder when he fired four gunshots through the toilet door in his bathroom
The 29-year-old could face a 15-year jail term for shooting dead Steenkamp through a toilet door at his home in Pretoria in the early hours of Valentine's Day in 2013.
Pistorius was initially handed a five-year sentence after being found guilty of culpable homicide (manslaughter), but after serving almost one year behind bars, the double amputee's conviction was upgraded to murder on appeal.
On day three of the sentencing hearing, Pistorius sobbed as he removed his prosthetic legs to demonstrate his limited movement as part of the defence's argument.
Pistorius's defence team is arguing that the double-amputee is a vulnerable man who deserves leniency when he is sentenced.
Reports said he goes from being a fully grown, fit looking man, to suddenly being incredibly vulnerable, someone who you can push over with a hand.
"That's what he (lawyer Barry Roux) wanted to show. I think that will play very heavily with the judge.
"Immediately afterwards, you could see the lawyer also emphasised that Oscar Pistorius would not like it, and he clearly did not like it."
Mr Roux was presenting his final arguments to Judge Thokozile Masipa at Pistorius' re-sentencing hearing.
He said there were "substantial and compelling circumstances" that allowed the judge to deviate from the minimum term of 15 years in prison.
Roux told the court that "there is no purpose served" in sending his client back to prison, while prosecutor Gerrie Nel argued that Pistorius should serve a minimum of 15 years behind bars because he has still not provided an "acceptable explanation" for his actions.
Pistorius has maintained that he mistook Steenkamp for an intruder when he fired four gunshots through the toilet door in his bathroom
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