From a globally lauded athlete to convicted killer, Oscar Pistorius' fall from grace culminated Tuesday with a five-year sentence in the shooting death of his girlfriend.
The sentence was imposed
for the charge of culpable homicide, which in South Africa means a
person was killed unintentionally, but unlawfully.
He was also given a three-year sentence on a firearms charge, but it was suspended.
During his trial, the
double-amputee sprinter often sobbed at the mention of his girlfriend
Reeva Steenkamp's name. He insisted that he mistook her girlfriend for
an intruder when he shot her through a toilet door on Valentine's Day
2013.
Opening the session Tuesday, Judge Thokozile Masipa emphasized that the decision on sentencing would be "mine and mine alone."
She pointed out that
sentencing is not an exact science but relies on an assessment of
elements including the nature and seriousness of the crime, the personal
circumstances of the accused and the interests of society.
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