Oscar Pistorius trial

- Oscar Pistorius has been found guilty of culpable homicide in the killing of Reeva Steenkamp.
- He's been sentenced to 5 years in prison for the crime.

- Read below to see how the trial has unfolded.
- CAUTION: there are some graphic images within the blog.
- Read our profiles of Oscar Pistorius and Reeva Steenkamp.

by emily.smith 10/21/2014 10:04:59 AM

3rd & 7 37yd

One final word from me: Thanks to everyone who spent time following this blog. It's been a pleasure updating you on the proceedings as they happened.

by emily.smith 10/21/2014 11:29:02 AM
As Oscar Pistorius is led down to the holding cell, he says good bye to his aunt and uncle.

AP

by emily.smith 10/21/2014 10:37:15 AM
Arnold Pistorius: "As a family, we are ready to support and guide Oscar as he serves his sentence."

by emily.smith 10/21/2014 10:08:51 AM
Arnold Pistorius: "We accept the judgment. Oscar will embrace this opportunity to pay back to society."

by emily.smith 10/21/2014 10:07:53 AM
Arnold: "One of the most distressed parts for me of this whole trial was how the truth became totally irrelevant"

by emily.smith 10/21/2014 10:07:15 AM
Arnold Pistorius: "This has been a hard, incredibly painful process for all those involved"

by emily.smith 10/21/2014 10:05:53 AM
Arnold Pistorius is giving a statement outside court:
Karyn Maughan
@karynmaughan
Oscar Pistorius's uncle Arnold: it has been a harrowing 20 months. We are all emotionally drained @eNCAnews #OscarTrial
Oct. 21, 2014
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by emily.smith 10/21/2014 10:05:24 AM
Aislinn Laing
@Simmoa
Pistorius disappeared to the cells down these stairs - 23 in total with a door at the bottom. #OscarPistorius http://pbs.twimg.com/media/B0dbqGIIIAALsUZ.jpg
Retweeted by SmithInAfrica
Oct. 21, 2014
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by emily.smith 10/21/2014 10:03:46 AM
Oscar Pistorius has left the court

by emily.smith 10/21/2014 9:59:14 AM
More on South African law:
Basically there are four types of Correctional Supervision. The first is a sentenced imposed in terms of section 276(1) (h) of the Criminal Procedure Act where a court sentences a person
directly to correctional supervision without the person having to enter a correctional centre.
The second is where a person is sentenced to imprisonment in terms of section 276(1) (i) of
the Criminal Procedure Act and where the Parole Board may place the offender under
correctional supervision after one sixth of the sentence has been served.

by emily.smith 10/21/2014 9:58:47 AM
Batchelor says Pistorius has shown no humility and hasn't acted remorseful.

by emily.smith 10/21/2014 9:41:10 AM
Batchelor says he's not happy that Pistorius can be released on house arrest in less than a year. "I'm not happy at all" he says

by emily.smith 10/21/2014 9:40:33 AM
Diana Magnay is outside the Pretoria court interviewing Marc Batchelor - he had an altercation with Pistorius in the past.

by emily.smith 10/21/2014 9:38:44 AM
Oscar Pistorius's brother just tweeted the following (note it's not a verified account):
Carl Pistorius
@carlpistorius
Together in Christ we are STRONG, in Christ there can never be defeat.
#livewitheternityinmind http://t.co/IBLxvM9701
Oct. 21, 2014
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by emily.smith 10/21/2014 9:32:49 AM
What will life be like for Oscar Pistorius in prison? Find out here.

by emily.smith 10/21/2014 9:30:45 AM
This is the portion of South African law that would allow Pistorius to be released after 10 months:

Subject to the provisions of this Act and any other law and of the common law, the following sentences may be passed upon a person convicted of an offence, namely imprisonment from which such a person may be placed under correctional supervision in the discretion of the Commissioner or a parole board.

by emily.smith 10/21/2014 9:19:55 AM
5 memorable moments from the Oscar Pistorius trial.

by emily.smith 10/21/2014 9:14:54 AM
CNN's Robyn Curnow says she's spoken to Oscar Pistorius in the last few weeks and he told her that he's not afraid to go to prison.

by emily.smith 10/21/2014 9:12:49 AM
Missed the sentence? Watch it here.

by emily.smith 10/21/2014 9:10:08 AM
RAGreeneCNN
@RAGreeneCNN
South Africa prosecution service has not decided whether to appeal #OscarPistorius not guilty on murder charge, spox Mncube says
Oct. 21, 2014
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by emily.smith 10/21/2014 9:08:02 AM
We're expecting a Pistorius family statement in less than an hour.

by emily.smith 10/21/2014 9:07:36 AM
So there's a bit of confusion. The National Prosecuting Authority says they understand that Pistorius would have to spend 1/3 of the sentence in prison - so 20 months. Pistorius' lawyers and our legal analyst say 10 months.

by emily.smith 10/21/2014 9:07:18 AM
1/6th of 5 years is 10 months. So, Pistorius could be released to correctional supervision after serving 10 months.

by emily.smith 10/21/2014 8:59:45 AM
From inside the courtroom:
Emma Sadleir
@EmmaSadleir
#OscarPistorius 's uncle Arnold confirms that the they will not appeal. The prosecution has 14 days to launch a possible appeal
Oct. 21, 2014
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by emily.smith 10/21/2014 8:58:48 AM
From Kelly Phelps: According to South African law, Pistorius "has to serve one sixth of the sentence before he can be considered for correctional supervision."

by emily.smith 10/21/2014 8:58:14 AM
Let's not forget who this trial was all about: Reeva Steenkamp

by emily.smith 10/21/2014 8:54:58 AM
by emily.smith 10/21/2014 8:53:46 AM
Mandy Wiener
@MandyWiener
#OscarTrial Family remarkable composed but some die-hard Oscar fans are openly weeping, sobbing in the public gallery.
Oct. 21, 2014
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by emily.smith 10/21/2014 8:46:18 AM
From inside the courtroom:
Mandy Wiener
@MandyWiener
#OscarTrial Defence legal team is caucusing at the front of the courtroom. Everyone looking a little shell shocked.
Oct. 21, 2014
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by emily.smith 10/21/2014 8:45:25 AM
CNN's legal analyst Kelly Phelps says the verdict is a mix between what both sides wanted.

by emily.smith 10/21/2014 8:44:23 AM
The next step for Pistorius:
Karyn Maughan
@karynmaughan
Oscar Pistorius will be taken to cells and fingerprinted. Those prints will be checked when he arrives at prison @eNCAnews #OscarTrial
Oct. 21, 2014
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by emily.smith 10/21/2014 8:42:17 AM
From inside the courtroom:
Barry Bateman
@barrybateman
#OscarTrial Pistorius had a brief word with his Uncle Arnold, before being led downstairs. No indication at this stage of appeal.
Oct. 21, 2014
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Mandy Wiener
@MandyWiener
#OscarTrial Oscar Pistorius is led straight down to the cells, family lean over the dock and reach down to him. Sombre faces.
Oct. 21, 2014
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1 of 2
by emily.smith 10/21/2014 8:41:55 AM
Everyone is still standing. June and Barry Steenkamp comfort each other and talk to family and friends around them.

by emily.smith 10/21/2014 8:41:32 AM
There's lots of murmuring in court. We usually don't get to see the inside of the room after court is adjourned.

by emily.smith 10/21/2014 8:41:03 AM
Pistorius walks past his family down into the holding cell.

by emily.smith 10/21/2014 8:40:32 AM
Court is adjourned.

by emily.smith 10/21/2014 8:39:54 AM
She also thanks the gallery. "It was not an easy matter, but in general I was very pleased with the conduct of everyone involved."

by emily.smith 10/21/2014 8:39:49 AM
Masipa thanks counsel again. She also thanks the court officials and staff who assisted her.

by emily.smith 10/21/2014 8:39:18 AM
Roux says Pistorius doesn't want to own a firearm again.

by emily.smith 10/21/2014 8:38:41 AM
From inside the courtroom:
Mandy Wiener
@MandyWiener
#OscarTrial Oscar sits. His sister Aimee covers herself with her jersey, looks distressed. Little reaction from Pistorius family.
Oct. 21, 2014
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by emily.smith 10/21/2014 8:37:08 AM
Nel wants to address whether Pistorius can own a firearm again. He says a conviction contravening the firearm act automatically prevents him from owning a gun, unless the court determines otherwise.

by emily.smith 10/21/2014 8:36:50 AM
That's it.

by emily.smith 10/21/2014 8:35:12 AM
Both sentences run concurrently

by emily.smith 10/21/2014 8:35:08 AM
For the gun charge, Pistorius gets 3 years, wholly suspended for 5 years

by emily.smith 10/21/2014 8:34:45 AM
Masipa says the sentenced imposed is the maximum of 5 years

by emily.smith 10/21/2014 8:34:22 AM
Masipa asks Pistorius to rise. Here we go

by emily.smith 10/21/2014 8:33:45 AM
No jail time for the gun charge

by emily.smith 10/21/2014 8:33:38 AM
From inside the courtroom:
Barry Bateman
@barrybateman
#OscarTrial a court orderly has walked to the stairs down to the holding cells - preparing for the accused.
Oct. 21, 2014
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by emily.smith 10/21/2014 8:33:15 AM
Masipa: A non-custodial sentence would send a wrong message to the community. On the other hand, a long sentence would not be appropriate either.

by emily.smith 10/21/2014 8:32:00 AM
Masipa says she's considered all the evidence placed before her.

by emily.smith 10/21/2014 8:30:42 AM
From inside the courtroom:
David Smith
@SmithInAfrica
Masipa: "A suspended sentence would not be appropriate in my view." Sentence should be "neither too light nor too severe". #Pistorius
Oct. 21, 2014
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by emily.smith 10/21/2014 8:30:29 AM
Masipa says that while both Pistorius and the man in the second case were reacting to a noise, the door actually opened in the second case.

by emily.smith 10/21/2014 8:29:23 AM
Masipa has already ruled correctional supervision for Pistorius.

by emily.smith 10/21/2014 8:28:58 AM
The man got a suspended sentence as part of the plea deal.

by emily.smith 10/21/2014 8:28:36 AM