South
African Olympic superstar, Oscar Pistorius who was charged with the murder of his
former girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp and subsequently found guilty of criminal
negligence, culpable homicide has been sentenced to five years imprisonment by a court
in Pretoria.
The
prosecutors wanted a minimum of ten years imprisonment while the defense argued
for community service and house arrest, citing that the athlete would be more
vulnerable than a normal man in jail. Pistorius was finally sentenced to five
years.
Pistorius’ lawyer said, Barry Roux is expecting his client to spend 10
months in jail and complete the rest of his sentence under house arrest.
Dup
De Bruyn, a lawyer for the Steenkamp family, told Reuters that “justice was served” and
the Judge Masipia who read the sentence said “Sentencing is about achieving the
right balance. Sentencing is not a perfect exercise.” Pistorius was also handed
a three year firearms license suspension.
Last
month, Judge Masipa cleared Pistorius of murder, but convicted him of culpable
homicide, saying he had been negligent. The trial lasted over
six months and was broadcast and widely followed around the world.
There
was no legal limit on the length of a jail term, but experts say the typical
maximum sentence for culpable homicide is around 15 years. Despite the
sentencing being announced, this case may not be over.
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