The trial of “Blade Runner” Oscar Pistorius gripped the world in 2014 when he was convicted of murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
Pistorius has now served half his sentence and on Friday he faces a second likelihood at parole after he was dominated ineligible for early launch from jail in March.
Who is Oscar Pistorius?
Oscar Pistorius is a former Olympic and Paralympic athlete and a convicted assassin.
He was born in South Africa in 1986. At 11 months outdated, each his legs have been amputated under the knee due to a congenital defect.
He ran on prosthetic blades – therefore the nickname Blade Runner.
Until 2013, he was principally recognized for his sporting prowess, successful gold on the Paralympics and making historical past as the primary double amputee to compete within the Olympics.
Then, on the morning of 14 February 2013, Pistorius shot and killed his girlfriend at his residence in Pretoria, South Africa.
The homicide of Reeva Steenkamp
Ms Steenkamp, 29, was shot useless by Pistorius whereas she was in the bathroom.
Pistorius has all the time insisted the capturing was a mistake, saying he thought an intruder was in the home and he feared for his security.
He fired 4 photographs via a locked rest room door, hitting Ms Steenkamp within the head, hip and arm.
Pistorius claimed in court docket it was solely when he battered down the door with a cricket bat that he realised who was behind it.
The prosecution argued the homicide was premeditated and Pistorius shot Ms Steenkamp after an argument.
Part of their argument rested on saying Pistorius was sporting his prosthetic legs on the time of the capturing – they mentioned the time taken to place them on was proof of premeditation.
Pistorius testified he was on his stumps, a declare that was backed up by a ballistic professional’s evaluation.
Changing fees and sentences
Pistorius was initially not discovered responsible of homicide and was as a substitute convicted of culpable murder (the equal of a manslaughter cost within the UK).
He was sentenced to 5 years in 2014, and was finally launched from jail and positioned below home arrest.
A 12 months later, that conviction was overturned when South Africa’s supreme court docket of attraction discovered him responsible of homicide.
He was sentenced to 6 years – which was then elevated to 13 years and 5 months after the sentence was deemed “shockingly too lenient” in an attraction.
Parole hearings
Pistorius faces the prospect of getting out of jail early after serving half his jail sentence of 13 years and 5 months.
In South Africa, prisoners turn into eligible for parole after serving half their sentence.
The parole board will take into account his case once more on Friday after denying him parole in March.
The resolution to provide him a second parole listening to got here after his lawyer took his case to the Constitutional Court over errors made by the court docket in calculating when Pistorius could be eligible for parole.
He was initially advised he would solely be eligible in August 2024, when he was in reality eligible in March.
Granting a second listening to was seen as successfully an admission of the attraction court docket’s error.
Read extra:
Pistorius ‘not remorseful or rehabilitated’, Reeva Steenkamp’s mom says
Oscar Pistorius injured in jail battle over cellphone
Pistorius shouldn’t be assured to be granted early launch.
The parole board takes plenty of elements into consideration, together with his conduct and disciplinary report in jail, his psychological well being and the probability of him committing one other crime.
He may very well be launched on full parole or positioned on day parole, the place he could be allowed to dwell and work in the neighborhood however should return to jail at evening.
Last 12 months he met with Ms Steenkamp’s father as a part of a course of referred to as victim-offender dialogue, which supplies crime victims the possibility to fulfill with offenders earlier than they turn into eligible for parole.
Speaking forward of the primary parole listening to, Ms Steenkamp’s mom mentioned he was “not remorseful”.
Source: information.sky.com”