Former athlete O Pistorius sentenced to 6 years of imprisonment

Newstrack
Published on: 6 July 2016 11:02 AM GMT
Former athlete O Pistorius sentenced to 6 years of imprisonment
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Cape Town: South African sprint runner and Paralympics gold medallist Oscar Pistorious, who is a below-knee amputee, has been awarded with six years of imprisonment. The sentence was delivered by original trial judge Thokozile Masipa.

The 29-year-old former athlete turned emotional after he was sentenced in the court for killing his girlfriend.

The sentence was, however, much more lenient than expected by many. Moreover, the public prosecutor had demanded a sentence of at least 15 years for the Pistorious.

Pistorius appeared in the court on Wednesday looking nervous but healthier than in previous hearings last month. He hugged members of his family and his legal team. Relatives of the former athlete and the victim had filled the front bench of the courtroom.

Other highlights:

  • The former athlete had killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp by shooting her in his residence in Pretoria in Gauteng province of South Africa on February 14, 2013.
  • He was arrested by the South African police and charged with murder.
  • Pistorious said he had mistaken her girlfriend for an intruder hiding in his washroom.

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