Oscar Pistorius was dramatically jailed for five years on
Tuesday for killing his model girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.
The athlete was found guilty of culpable homicide, but was
acquitted of murder after shooting Miss Steenkamp four times through a toilet
cubicle door at his home last year.
According to legal observers, Pistorius could spend only 10
months in jail and, provided he poses no trouble to the prison authorities,
could spend the remainder of his sentence under correctional supervision at
home.
As he was led down to the cells, Miss Steenkamp’s mother,
June, as reported by MailOnline, smiled as she told of a sense of “closure”
after a seventh-month trial, but said it “would not magic Reeva back.”
The model’s ailing father, who suffered a stroke after his
daughter’s death, said he was “very glad” the trial was over. A lawyer for the
family said the sentence was “welcome.”
The runner’s sister, Aimee briefly covered her head with a
jacket and looked distressed. His family said he would not appeal the sentence.
Pistorius was later driven away from court in a prison van
to the gang-ridden Pretoria Central Prison, where one criminal kingpin has
already threatened to “take him out.”
According to the Act under which Pistorius was sentenced, he
must spend at least one-sixth of his sentence before he can apply for leave to
serve the rest under “correctional supervision.”
The athlete appeared to have prepared himself to spend some
time behind bars, while his uncle Arnold Pistorius, the head of the large
family, said there would be no appeal against the sentence.
National Prosecuting Authority, who have two weeks to decide
whether to appeal against verdict or sentence, suggested they would be content
to draw a line under the matter.
“We have stated that we were disappointed with the judgment
but we take solace in fact that Pistorius will serve time in jail.”
After a summary of the evidence in the case and related
legal issues, judge Thozile Masipa said: ‘Having regard to the circumstances of
the matter, I am of the view that a non-custodial sentence would send the wrong message to the community.
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