South African Appeal Court Doubles Oscar Pistorius’ Jail Time

South African Appeal Court Doubles Oscar Pistorius’ Jail Time

A South African appeal court has reviewed the sentence of jailed paralympian Oscar Pistorius, for the murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, from six years to 13 years and five months.

Pistorius has consistently denied killing Steenkamp in a rage, saying he was instead trying to protect her at his home on Valentine’s Day in 2013.

The South African Paralympian was earlier sentenced to six years in prison for murdering girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp after initially receiving a five year sentence for manslaughter in 2014. State lawyers had described his sentence as ‘shockingly lenient’.

The trial judge, Thokozile Masipa had dismissed a request for the sentence to be reviewed saying she was not persuaded that there was a reasonable prospect of success at another court.

State prosecutors, led by advocate Gerrie Nel, however, filed an application to the Supreme Court of Appeal.

Pistorius was not in court for Friday’s ruling where the court ruled that he would now get the minimum 15-year sentence prescribed for murder in South Africa, minus the time he had already spent in jail.

Going by this ruling, he will now spend another 13 years and five months in prison.

Reeva Steenkamp’s family has issued a statement in which they said the ‘ruling has verified there is justice’, The Metro Newspaper reports.