Pretoria: South African Paralympian star sprinter Oscar Pistorius was sentenced to five years in prison today for the killing of his girlfriend last year, as his sensational trial reached a climax. Pistorius, who had vomited and wept at times during the trial, stood stock-still in the dock as he was sentenced, veins bulging in his forehead and his jaw muscles clenched.
Count one, culpable homicide: the sentence imposed is five years, Judge Thokozile Masipa said. Pistorius, 27, was also given a three-year suspended sentence on a separate gun offence conviction.
Masipa said she wanted to find a balance between retribution, deterrence and rehabilitation, dismissing defence claims that the disabled athlete would face particular suffering in prison. The toilet was a small cubicle and there was no room for escape for the person behind the door,” she said. The double amputee sprinter was acquitted of the more serious charge of murder over Reeva Steenkamp`s death on Valentine`s Day last year.
A man dressed in prison orange draped himself in chains, holding a sign saying: “Are certain offenders more equal than other offenders before the law?” Before the sentence was pronounced, legal experts had been divided on which way judge Masipa would swing. There is a strong argument to be made for certainly a period of direct imprisonment,” said William Booth, a criminal lawyer based in Cape Town. “You do have to send a message to the public.”
The athlete made history by becoming the first Paralympian to compete against able-bodied athletes at the 2012 London Olympics, inspiring millions with his story. But during his trial the prosecution painted a darker picture of the one-time sports star, presenting a dangerously volatile young man with a penchant for guns, beautiful women and fast cars. With the conviction and sentence, Pistorius has lost his glittering sports career, lucrative contracts and above all his hero status, tarnished forever.
Bureau Report
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