Oscar Pistorius was yesterday found guilty of culpable homicide and faced a potential lengthy jail term for shooting dead his glamorous girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, in a case that shattered the Olympic hero’s glittering career.
Pistorius was acquitted of a more serious charge of murder, but Judge Thokozile Masipa said yesterday that he had acted “negligently” in killing the blonde law graduate, named one of the world’s 100 sexiest women.
The judge agreed to release Pistorius on bail pending sentencing beginning on Oct. 13.
Photo: EPA
His trial heard that in the early hours of Valentine’s Day last year Pistorius fired four hollow-point rounds into a locked toilet door, causing Steenkamp’s head to “explode” and “amputating” her arm.
Dismissing swathes of state evidence as inconclusive or irrelevant, Masipa ruled that on the charge of murder “the accused is found not guilty and is discharged, instead he is found guilty of culpable homicide.”
“A reasonable person,” Masipa said, would have foreseen “that whoever was behind the door might be killed,” adding that Pistorius did not take steps to avoid that.
The “Blade Runner,” so nicknamed for the prosthetic legs that powered him to fame, stared straight ahead as the conviction was read, showing little emotion, but from the gallery there was a sound of sniffles and shallow breaths, as friends and family of 29-year-old Steenkamp cried.
Steenkamp’s father, Barry, ran his hand over his head, while her mother June pursed her lips and shook her head.
With no mandatory sentence for culpable homicide, Masipa — known for handing out stiff sentences — will have a great deal of discretion over the punishment, which could range from a fine to more than a decade in jail.
“It all comes down to how she feels, how bad the mistake was,” Johannesburg lawyer David Dadic said. “It’s a very serious negligence crime.”
Speaking after the verdict, Pistorius’ uncle, Arnold, said the damage done to the athlete as a result of the trial had been “tragic,” but crime-weary South Africans and legal experts voiced anger and surprise that Pistorius was found not guilty of murder.
“Everyone is a little surprised,” lawyer Audrey Berndt said.
Wits University criminal law professor James Grant said the state could appeal if they believe there has been an legal error.
The National Prosecuting Authority said it was “disappointed” with the vedict, but had not yet decided on whether to appeal.
Outside the court, Trevor, a 52-year-old pastor from Pretoria, expressed disgust at the verdict and a sense that justice favors the rich.
“If he didn’t have money he would be in jail,” he said. “Real men don’t do that.”
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