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Oscar Pistorius is a volunteer caretaker at NG Kerk Waterkloof
Oscar quotes of the day
Paralympian Oscar Pistorius was found guilty in the High Court in Pretoria on Friday of culpable homicide.
Aimee Pistorius (C), sister of paralympian Oscar Pistorius, attends judgment in his murder trial at the High Court in Pretoria on Friday, 12 September 2014. Picture: Alon Skuy/Times Media Group/Pool
Judge Thokozile Masipa acquitted the 27-year-old of murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
However, she said Pistorius was negligent when he fired four shots into a toilet cubicle, killing Steenkamp.
Below is a compilation of the quotes of the day.
“Before today the accused thought he could be acquitted.” – prosecutor Gerrie Nel.
“At this point the matter is not concluded. We are still waiting for the sentence. It’s only after the sentence that the NPA can weigh its options and see whether they can take the matter forward.” – National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesman Nathi Mncube.
“This was a long trial; it was an expensive trial.” – Pistorius’s lawyer Barry Roux, explaining that the athlete had sold his properties to pay his legal fees.
“The unanimous decision of this court is the following: on count one, murder…. the accused is found not guilty…. Instead, he is found guilty of culpable homicide.” – Judge Thokozile Masipa.
“There is no basis for this court to make the inference that the accused wanted to kill the deceased…. The conduct of the accused shortly after the incident is inconsistent with someone who had wanted to commit murder.” – Masipa.
“It could not be said that he [Pistorius] foresaw that either the deceased or anyone else for that matter might be killed when he fired the shots at that door.” – Masipa.
“The State has failed to establish that the accused is guilty beyond reasonable doubt and [he] has to be acquitted…. It falls short of the required standard for a conviction.” – Masipa on count two, which related to Pistorius allegedly firing a gun through a car sunroof on September 30, 2012.
“The State witnesses contradicted each other on crucial matters.” – Masipa, on the evidence for count two.
“The State has proved beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused contravened [a] section… of the act.” – Masipa on count three, that he contravened the Firearms Control Act when he fired a gun under a table at Tasha’s restaurant in Melrose Arch, Johannesburg, in January 2013.
“He therefore cannot be found guilty on this count.” – Masipa in reference to charge four, the illegal possession of ammunition.
– Sapa
