BLOEMFONTEIN, (Reuters) – South Africa’s “Blade Runner†Oscar Pistorius was found guilty today of murdering his girlfriend, in an appeal court ruling that could see him sent back to prison for up to 15 years.
The Supreme Court upgraded the 29-year-old Paralympian’s sentence on appeal to murder from “culpable homicideâ€, for which he had received a five-year sentence.
Pistorius was released on parole on Oct. 19, having spent one day less than a year in prison for shooting dead model Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day 2013. He was meant to serve the rest of his sentence under house arrest.
The athlete, known for the carbon fibre prosthetic blades he uses when running, will be sentenced for the new murder conviction by a lower court at a date still to be determined.
It is likely his lawyers could argue that his physical disability and mental stress should be considered as mitigating circumstances.
The Supreme Court upgraded the 29-year-old Paralympian’s sentence on appeal to murder from “culpable homicideâ€, for which he had received a five-year sentence.
Pistorius was released on parole on Oct. 19, having spent one day less than a year in prison for shooting dead model Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day 2013. He was meant to serve the rest of his sentence under house arrest.
The athlete, known for the carbon fibre prosthetic blades he uses when running, will be sentenced for the new murder conviction by a lower court at a date still to be determined.
It is likely his lawyers could argue that his physical disability and mental stress should be considered as mitigating circumstances.