State expected to petition SCA for leave to appeal against Pistorius’ sentence: reports
The state is expected to petition the Supreme Court of Appeal for leave to appeal against the six-year sentence granted against Olympic double amputee Oscar Pistorius‚ SkyNews reported. Pistorius‚ 30‚ shot and killed his girlfriend Steenkamp‚ who was 29‚ through a locked door in his Pretoria home on February 14 2013.He claimed he fired the four shots through the door of the toilet in the bathroom adjoining his bedroom believing that there was an intruder inside and that his life and that of Steenkamp were in danger.Pistorius was sentenced to a five-year prison term in October 2014 on a culpable homicide conviction but was released under correctional supervision this year after spending close to one year in prison.The culpable homicide conviction was set aside by the Supreme Court of Appeal and replaced with that of murder in December last year. The SCA sent the matter back to the high court for sentencing on the new conviction.In July‚ Pretoria high court Judge Thokozile Masipa sentenced Pistorius to a six-year jail term‚ a decision that the prosecution felt was “shockingly inappropriate”.On August 26‚ Masipa refused the state’s application for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Appeal‚ saying she was not persuaded there were reasonable prospects of success on appeal...
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