GettyOscar Pistorius has been sentenced to six years in prison for the murder of Reeva Steenkamp despite there being a 15-year minimum sentence for murder in South Africa.
Judge Thokozile Masipa, who ruled on the case, claimed that there were ‘substantial and compelling reasons’ for not imposing the minimum sentence for murder, including a continuing misconception that the disgraced athlete had intended to kill his girlfriend.
She went on to say that a number of mitigating circumstances including rehabilitation and remorse impacted her decision while sentencing.
#OscarPistorius is sentenced to six years imprisonment by Judge Musipa for murder of girlfriend #ReevaSteenkamp https://t.co/Lp9JG5JY8K
— Victoria Derbyshire (@VictoriaLIVE) July 6, 2016
The judge went on to add that that a ‘long term imprisonment would not serve justice in this matter’ and that Pistorius was unlikely to re-offend, The Guardian reports.
The sentence comes after the prosecution appealed his initial five-year conviction for manslaughter changing it to murder back in December.
GettyPistorius was then taken from the court by staff to the cells while his sister left the court in tears with a friend.
Reeva Steenkamp was shot four times through a locked toilet door by Pistorius back in February 2013.
While the former Olympian admitted that he shot Ms Steenkamp he denied murdering her saying he mistook her for an intruder and shot out of fear.
More of a concept than a journalist, Tom Percival was forged in the bowels of Salford University from which he emerged grasping a Masters in journalism.
Since then his rise has been described by himself as ‘meteoric’ rising to the esteemed rank of Social Editor at UNILAD as well as working at the BBC, Manchester Evening News, and ITV.
He credits his success to three core techniques, name repetition, personality mirroring, and never breaking off a handshake.