Oscar Pistorious has been sentenced to 5 years in prison for the fatal shooting of then girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. “I’m not afraid to go to jail,” Pistorious said to CNN a few days ago. He expressed his intention to start a gym and/or teach people how to read while in prison
Judge Thokozile Masipa, who issued the ruling in a Pretoria court, also gave him a three-year suspended sentence for a firearms charge, BBC reports.
In accordance with South African law, he will have to serve a minimum of one-sixth of his sentence, which is 10 months, to be eligible for parole.
His defense is appealing to have Pistorious serve a portion of the sentence under house arrest. It is presently unclear whether that request will be granted.
He has been moved to a holding cell at North Gauteng High Court, and may be moved later to Pretoria Central Prison.
Here.is David Smith’s report from court in Pretoria:
Oscar Pistorius will spend his first day behind bars on Tuesday after a judge jailed him for five years for the killing of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.Looking distressed, the Paralympian clasped the hands of family members as a police officer led him from the dock down 23 steps – paint peeling off the handrail – to gloomy holding cells below the high court in Pretoria, the capital of South Africa.The national prosecuting authority said Pistorius, 27, would be taken to prison immediately and eligible to be considered for parole after serving a third of his sentence. His uncle, Arnold Pistorius, indicated he would not appeal.The athlete stood staring straight ahead as judge Thokozile Masipa announced his sentence. There was a muted reaction from the families on the front bench of the public gallery.Masipa rejected many of the defence arguments and described the evidence of defence witness and social worker Annette Vergeer as ‘slapdash and disappointing’. She said she had no reason to believe that South Africa’s prisons would not be able to cater for the needs of a disabled person like Pistorius.‘It would be a sad day for this country if an impression was created that there is one law for the poor and disadvantaged and another for the rich and famous,’ she noted.Masipa said a judge must strive for a sentence ‘neither too light nor too severe’, ruling that ‘a non-custodial sentence will send a wrong message to the community’.Referring to the Steenkamp family, the judge said: ‘Nothing I do or say today can reverse what happened to the deceased or her family on 14 February 2013’ but said that hopefully her judgment would provide some form of closure.Steenkamp’s father, Barry, said afterwards: “I’m pleased that it’s over.”The Steenkamps’ lawyer, Dup de Bruyn, told AFP that the sentence would probably be served as two years in prison and three years under house arrest. ‘In effect, he gets three years’ correctional supervision and two years’ direct imprisonment.’ De Bruyn said Steenkamp’s parents were satisfied with the decision. ‘They feel it’s right,’ he added.Pistorius was also given three years suspended for five years for a firearms offence.
sources ; CNN
the guardian
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