TheCitizen - It's all about you
  • Home
  • Headlines
  • Latest News
  • Governance
  • Business
  • Financial Crimes
  • Opinion
  • Editorials
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Headlines
  • Latest News
  • Governance
  • Business
  • Financial Crimes
  • Opinion
  • Editorials
No Result
View All Result
TheCitizen - It's all about you
No Result
View All Result

Appeal Court changes Oscar Pistorius verdict to murder

The Citizen by The Citizen
December 3 2015
in Sport, Uncategorized
A A
0

Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius has been found guilty of murder after a South African appeals court overturned an earlier manslaughter verdict.
He killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in February 2013 after shooting her four times through a locked toilet door.
He is currently under house arrest after spending one year of his original five-year sentence in jail.
Pistorius will have to return to court to be re-sentenced, for murder.
Pistorius murder conviction: Live updates
The making and unmaking of Oscar Pistorius
It was earlier incorrectly reported that the court had ruled the manslaughter verdict would remain.

South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal ruled that the lower court did not correctly apply the rule of dolus eventualis – whether Pistorius knew that a death would be a likely result of his actions.
The minimum sentence for murder is 15 years but judges can apply some discretion.
South African law does not make provision for someone to be placed under house arrest for more than five years, so Pistorius will be going back to prison.

 

Pistorius’ family gave a brief response, saying lawyers are studying the finding who will advise them on “options going forward”.
Reading the ruling reached by a panel of five judges, Justice Eric Leach said that having armed himself with a high-calibre weapon, Pistorius must have foreseen that whoever was behind the door might die.
“As a matter of common sense at the time the fatal shots were fired, the possibility of the death of the person behind the door was clearly an obvious result.
“And in firing not one but four shots, such a result became even more likely,” the judge said.
Pistorius always maintained that he believed there was an intruder in the house but the judge said that the identity of the person behind the door was “irrelevant to his guilt”.
Justice Leach compared it to someone setting off a bomb in a public place not knowing who the victims might be.

The judge also rejected the argument that Pistorius had acted in self-defence.
He said that the athlete’s life was not in danger at the time of the shooting, as Pistorius did not know who was behind the door or if they posed a threat.
The judge added that Pistorius did “not take that most elementary precaution of firing a warning shot”.
Reeva Steenkamp’s mother June (centre) was in court for the ruling
Pistorius did not attend the hearing in Bloemfontein.
But Ms Steenkamp’s mother, June, was present and afterwards she was seen outside the court being embraced by members of the African National Congress Women’s League, who were singing songs of celebration.
Our correspondent says that many in South Africa were upset by the original acquittal on murder charges, with women’s rights groups arguing he should have been found guilty of murder as a deterrent because of the high number of women who are killed by their partners in the country.

Pistorius competed in both the Olympics and Paralympics in London in 2012
The double amputee was released from prison on 19 October. Under South African law, he was eligible for release under “correctional supervision”, having served a sixth of his sentence.
Pistorius can challenge the ruling in the constitutional court but only if his lawyers can argue that his constitutional rights have been violated.
Legal expert Mannie Witz told the BBC that there do not appear to be any grounds for such an appeal. BBC

 

Previous Post

Akpabio to Nigerians: Senate will not pass bill to send social media users to prison

Next Post

Death in detention – The Nation

Related Posts

Chelsea sack Liam Rosenior after poor run, name interim coach
Sport

Chelsea sack Liam Rosenior after poor run, name interim coach

April 22 2026
Onyeka secures EPL promotion with Coventry
Sport

Onyeka secures EPL promotion with Coventry

April 18 2026
Ghana appoints Queiroz for 2026 World Cup
Sport

Ghana appoints Queiroz for 2026 World Cup

April 14 2026
Man City rout Chelsea to close gap on leaders Arsenal
Sport

Man City rout Chelsea to close gap on leaders Arsenal

April 13 2026
EPL: Arsenal’s title lead shrinks after 2-1 defeat to Bournemouth
Sport

EPL: Arsenal’s title lead shrinks after 2-1 defeat to Bournemouth

April 12 2026
NFF unveils Flamingos squad for World Cup qualifying camp
Sport

NFF unveils Flamingos squad for World Cup qualifying camp

April 11 2026
Next Post

Death in detention – The Nation

INEC and Bayelsa polls – National Mirror

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

FROM THE GRASSROOTS

Service Chiefs: Let the changes count – Punch

Tinubu approves ₦17bn grassroots devt fund for 8,804 wards

by The Editor
April 22 2026
0

...

Police launch manhunt for killers of Imo traditional ruler

Police launch manhunt for killers of Imo traditional ruler

by The Editor
April 11 2026
0

...

Lassa fever deaths rise in Nigeria

Lassa fever deaths rise in Nigeria

by The Editor
April 9 2026
0

...

Oyo govt installs Sen Alli, two Ibadan High Chiefs as monarchs in absentia

Oyo govt installs Sen Alli, two Ibadan High Chiefs as monarchs in absentia

by The Editor
April 3 2026
0

...

APPOINTMENTS

Tinubu appoints NECO, NBTE chairmen, names poly rector, renews library DG tenure

Tinubu appoints NECO, NBTE chairmen, names poly rector, renews library DG tenure

by The Editor
April 22 2026
0

...

416 nurses, midwives get automatic appointments in Yobe

416 nurses, midwives get automatic appointments in Yobe

by The Editor
April 8 2026
0

...

Tinubu renews Bugaje’s appointment as NBTE boss

Tinubu renews Bugaje’s appointment as NBTE boss

by The Editor
April 2 2026
0

...

Kwara governor congratulates new CAF General Secretary

Kwara governor congratulates new CAF General Secretary

by The Editor
April 1 2026
0

...

ODDITIES

Nigeria’s ambassador-designate dies before assumption of office

Nigeria’s ambassador-designate dies before assumption of office

by The Editor
April 22 2026
0

Bwala, Hasan and the art of the political interview

I had throat surgery after Al Jazeera interview – Daniel Bwala

by The Editor
April 11 2026
0

Robbers cut off teacher’s hand in Kano

Robbers cut off teacher’s hand in Kano

by The Editor
April 9 2026
0

GLOBAL NEWS

US senator accuses Nigerian officials of complicity in killings of Christians

US senator accuses Nigerian officials of complicity in killings of Christians

by The Editor
April 22 2026
0

...

Iran warns US military vessels, others to avoid Strait of Hormuz

Iran military command closes Strait of Hormuz again

by The Editor
April 18 2026
0

...

Trump threatens to end Iran ceasefire if no deal by Wednesday

Trump threatens to end Iran ceasefire if no deal by Wednesday

by The Editor
April 18 2026
0

...

Italy suspends defence agreement with Israel as Lebanon attacks stoke tensions

Italy suspends defence agreement with Israel as Lebanon attacks stoke tensions

by The Editor
April 14 2026
0

...

Ghanaians pray daily for Nigeria’s success, says Pres. Mahama

Ghanaians pray daily for Nigeria’s success, says Pres. Mahama

by The Editor
April 14 2026
0

...

State of the States

Ondo commences 2025 OSOPADEC scholarship, bursary for students

Ondo commences 2025 OSOPADEC scholarship, bursary for students

by The Editor
April 21 2026
0

...

Delta govt urges youths to join Army

Delta govt urges youths to join Army

by The Editor
April 11 2026
0

...

21,452 applicants jostle for 1,000 rural teaching Jobs in Nasarawa

21,452 applicants jostle for 1,000 rural teaching Jobs in Nasarawa

by The Editor
April 10 2026
0

...

Police begin statewide offensive after deadly Kebbi attacks

Police begin statewide offensive after deadly Kebbi attacks

by The Editor
April 10 2026
0

...

Plugin Install : Widget Tab Post needs JNews - View Counter to be installed
  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
APC senate number swells to 91, PDP down to 5 as Ngwu, Yaro defect to ruling party

APC senate number swells to 91, PDP down to 5 as Ngwu, Yaro defect to ruling party

April 22 2026
Reps approve transfer of NSIB from aviation ministry to Presidency

Reps approve transfer of NSIB from aviation ministry to Presidency

April 22 2026
Nigeria’s ambassador-designate dies before assumption of office

Nigeria’s ambassador-designate dies before assumption of office

April 22 2026
Tinubu, Jonathan hold closed-door talks amid regional consultations

Tinubu, Jonathan hold closed-door talks amid regional consultations

April 22 2026

EDITORIAL REVIEW

Curfew in Abuja today for LG council elections

Hidden cost of elections – Punch

by The Editor
April 17 2026
0

Oil prices jump back toward $100 on Mideast ceasefire doubts

As Nigeria moves away from oil dependency – Punch

by The Editor
April 13 2026
0

Easter gets bloodier – Punch

Easter gets bloodier – Punch

by The Editor
April 12 2026
0

Security chiefs’ discordant tunes – Punch

Security chiefs’ discordant tunes – Punch

by The Editor
April 10 2026
0

NASS: Withdraw MDPA amendment bill – Punch

NASS: Withdraw MDPA amendment bill – Punch

by The Editor
April 9 2026
0

Opinion

Even INEC admonishes the media?

Even INEC admonishes the media?

by The Editor
April 12 2026
0

...

Enugu: Gov Mbah presents N521.5bn budget for 2024

Mbah: From contested mandate to constructive governance in Enugu

by The Editor
April 9 2026
0

...

Tinubu finds his own demons

How will Tinubu campaign in Plateau State?

by The Editor
April 9 2026
0

...

Bwala, Hasan and the art of the political interview

Bwala, Hasan and the art of the political interview

by The Editor
April 6 2026
0

...

Plugin Install : Popular Post Widget need JNews - View Counter to be installed
  • Home
  • Headlines
  • Latest News
  • Governance
  • Business
  • Financial Crimes
  • Opinion
  • Editorials

© 2026 TheCitizen Ng. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Headlines
  • Latest News
  • Governance
  • Business
  • Financial Crimes
  • Opinion
  • Editorials

© 2026 TheCitizen Ng. All Rights Reserved.