It was the case that shocked everyone, and the leniency of the initial sentencing caused huge debate and outcry around the world. When Oscar Pistorius killed Reeva Steenkamp in 2013, high court judge Thokozile Masipa initially sentenced the "blade-runner" to six years for culpable homicide. The sentence was significantly lower than many had expected and was widely criticised in the media. Even more shockingly, he served only 10 months of the six-year sentence in prison before being released and put under house arrest. However, today, justice seems to have prevailed.
The South African Athlete, 31, who was one of the most recognisable faces in the world of sport, shot his then 29-year-old girlfriend in the early hours of Valentine's day in 2013. Pistorius fired four times through the door of his bedroom toilet while Ms Steenkamp was in there, killing her immediately.
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During his trial in 2014, the athlete pleaded not guilty to the murder and has maintained his innocence throughout his time in prison and house arrest, denying that he killed Steenkamp, a South African model, in rage, claiming that he mistook her for a burglar in the house. However, Justice Lorimer Leach has previously said that by arming himself and firing through the door, Pistorius would have been aware that whoever was behind the door, would more than likely die as a result of the attack.
Pistorius' lawyers have also supported his story, saying that he believed there was an intruder inside of his home, but the judge in charge of the case said that the identity of the person behind the door was irrelevant. As a result, Pistorius' original manslaughter sentence was overturned.
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Now, the disgraced Paralympian athlete has today had his sentence for the murder of Reeva Steenkamp more than doubled by a South African appeals court. The court decided to increase Mr Pistorious' sentence from six years to 13 years and 5 months after prosecutors argued that the initial six-year term for murdering Ms Steenkamp was "shockingly light".
Pistorius was not in court for Friday’s ruling, in which the court handed down the minimum 15-year sentence prescribed for murder in South Africa, then subtracted the years Pistorius had already served in jail.
Steenkamp’s family have welcomed the increased jail-term and they said it showed that justice could prevail in South Africa. “This is an emotional thing for them. They just feel that their trust in the justice system has been confirmed this morning,” Tania Koen, a spokeswoman for the Steenkamp family, said.
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The case, which has been highly publicised since the incident happened, has been the subject of much controversy and debate. Calvin and Thomas Mollet, forensic expert brothers, claim that Pistorius attacked Steenkamp with a cricket bat before he shot her dead. In their book about the case, Oscar vs The Truth, the brothers carry out an independent analysis of the evidence that was given in the trial, with them drawing attention to the wounds on Steenkamp's back.
No doubt there will be more to follow on this story, as the athlete's lawyers will more than likely launch an appeal and we will do our best to keep you as updated as possible.
