Friday, September 12, 2014

Pistorius Guilty Of Culpable Homicide (Manslaughter Or Unlawful Killing) Of Reeva Steenkamp


Oscar Pistorius will return to the high court in Pretoria to hear the judge's verdict (AP)

Athlete Oscar Pistorius is facing jail after being found guilty of the manslaughter of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, AP reports.

South African High Court judge Thokozile Masipa had earlier said the 27-year-old Olympian had been "negligent" in the early hours of Valentine's Day last year when he fatally shot the law graduate-turned-model.

Pistorius always admitted being responsible for her death at his home in Pretoria, but said he mistook his partner for intruders and fired four bullets from his 9mm pistol through the toilet cubicle.

The judge yesterday dismissed prosecution claims that the double-amputee intentionally killed the 29-year-old, saying Pistorius could not be convicted of either pre-meditated or second-degree murder.

But she returned to court this morning to convict him of culpable homicide - the South African equivalent of the UK's manslaughter charge - and one gun charge relating to a restaurant shooting.

Escorted by police and security, Oscar Pistorius, center, makes his way through media to enter the court in Pretoria, South Africa, Friday, Sept. 12, 2014. Pistorius has been dramatically cleared of the most serious charges against him over the shooting of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp."There are not enough facts to prove such a finding," Judge Thokozile Masipa said as she found him not guilty of premeditated murder. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

Pistorius stood with his hands crossed to hear the verdict but showed no emotion.

Judge Masipa told the hushed courtroom: "Having regard to the totality of this evidence in this matter, the unanimous decision of this court is the following: on count one, murder ... the accused found not guilty and is discharged.

"Instead he is found guilty of culpable homicide."

Yesterday, on the first day of delivering her verdict, the judge criticized Pistorius for acting hastily when he shot Ms Steenkamp.

She said: "If the accused, for example, had awoken in the middle of the night and in darkness seen a silhouette by his bed and in a panic shot at that figure, only to find it was the deceased, his conduct would have been understandable and perhaps excusable."

She added: "The accused had reasonable time to think, reflect and conduct himself.

"I'm not persuaded that a reasonable person with the same disability would have fired the four shots.

"The accused knew there was a person behind the toilet door, he chose to use a firearm.
"I am of the view the accused acted too hastily and used too much force. It is clear his conduct is negligent."

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