November 19, 2024 23:40 PM

Oscar Pistorius’s VERDICT UPDATE: Sentencing Underway In Pretoria High Court As Athlete Faces A Potential Jail Time Of 15 Years: Report

Oscar Pistorius's verdict is now on its final steps as the case is being reviewed for the last time at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria.

As the sentencing of the paralympian draws near, he is facing a potential sentence that would place him behind bars for the next 15 years, The Week UK has learned.

It can be noted that Pistorius was accused and convicted of culpable homicide in September after he reportedly shot Reeva Steenkamp, his girlfriend, on Valentine's Day 2013.

Though me managed to get cleared of murder of manslaughter, the embattled athlete was found guilty of homicide after over six months of intense due process and legal questioning.

As part of Oscar Pistorius's verdict, the high court is to hear from three witnesses for the defense, including a witness from South Africa's Department of Correctional Services.

Oscar Pistorius' verdict was ruled by Judge Thokozile Masipa after maintaining that there was not enough evidence to support prosecutors' claims that the paralympian deliberately shot Steenkamp at his Pretoria home.

The verdict may have come as a complete shock to many people, but now that the case is coming to an end the only thing that's left is for the sentencing of Pistorius this week starting this Monday, Channel 4 reports.

Since he was cleared of murder, Pistorius has escaped the 25 years sentence in South Africa. However, for homicide, he is still facing a potential 15-year sentence.

Within this week, the court and the prosecution will be deciding on the best length of time Pistorius should be serving behind bars.

Given the seriousness of the case and the death of Reeva Steenkamp as a result of his actions, the athlete who is known as the Blade Runner because of his prosthetic legs could be jailed for a significant amount of time.

However, since the court said that the embattled athlete acted "negligently" when he shot his girlfriend thinking that she was an intruder, there is a chance that he could convince judge Masipa that he does not deserve to go to prison despite Oscar Pistorius' verdict, according to BBC.

In light of the finalization of his case, the first witness, trauma counselor Lore Hartzenberg, strongly suggests that a "broken" Pistorius had been punished quite enough for his mistake.

Meanwhile, the second witness, social worker Joel Maringa, assessed Pistorius's case and recommended that instead of making him serve in prison, he should be put in house arrest and community service for three years instead.

Finally, the third witness, the athlete's manager Peet van Zyl, who also testified during the trial, rattled of a long list of Pistorius's charity work.

Now that Oscar Psitorius's verdict is final, his sentencing is left at the judge's discretion. Though he could be jailed for 15 years, he would be entitled to seek parole after serving half of his sentence.

CNN legal analyst Kelly Phelps said that in this legal battle, a typical sentence is five to eight years "but it is a principle of South African law that the sentence should be tailored to the culprit as a whole person, as opposed to the crime."

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