The High Court in South Africa will now be forced to re-sentence Oscar Pistorius after he was convicted of murdering his girlfriend Reeve Steenkamp by the country's Appeals court. The Paralympic gold medalist was last year given a five year jail sentence for 'culpable homicide'. He has since been released and is currently on house arrest.
However, that ruling was challenged by prosecutors and Justice Eric Leach has decided that Pistorius is guilty of the greater charge of murder. In handing down his ruling, Justice Leach stated in no uncertain terms that the nature of Steenkamp's death constituted murder regardless of Pistorius' defence that he believed he was shooting at an intruder through the locked bathroom door.
I have no doubt the accused must have foreseen and therefore did foresee that whoever was behind that door might die. The identity of his victim is irrelevant to his guilt.
The court have said that there were 'errors 'made Judge Masipa in the original trial but, with the glare of international media, she had nonetheless carried out her duties with 'dignity and patience'. It will now be up to Masipa to re-sentence Pistorius on the charge of murder. A murder conviction in South Africa carries a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison.
More to follow.
