Pistorius awaits his fate
After closing arguments were finalised on Wednesday for the sentencing of murder convict Oscar Pistorius, the athlete could be sentenced to 15 years.
Oscar Pistorius should not return to jail as he was a rehabilitated man who was safe enough to be released on parole last year.
This was argued by the athlete’s lawyer, Barry Roux, during the closing arguments for Pistorius’ murder sentencing procedures at the North Gauteng High Court on Tuesday.
Pistorius removed his prosthetic legs for a demonstration of his vulnerability the night he shot dead his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. He had changed during the tea break from his suit into shorts, a t-shirt and a hoodie.
“Even though the accused is embarrassed to stand on his stumps, it is important to show the court how vulnerable he was when he thought there was an intruder in his house,” said Roux.
The now humiliated 1.5m tall athlete sobbed as he wobbled across the court room without his prostheses, leading to an emotional response from the public attending the hearing.
Earlier in the hearing, Reeva Steenkamp’s cousin, Kim Martin, was called to the stand by state prosecutor Gerrie Nel as the last state witness.
She spoke of how the death of her cousin had changed their lives and that Valentine’s Day would remain a painful day.
“Valentine’s Day is the worst day for us.”
Martin said it she was not pleased that the athlete had agreed to give an interview to British channel ITV.
“I think it’s very unfair that he wants to talk to the world about his version. It is hurtful. I cannot understand why.”
Asked about the relationship between Pistorius and Reeva, Martin said her cousin only shrugged her shoulders when she was asked about being happy in the relationship.
“I know she liked Oscar. She was fond of him, but I don’t think she loved him. We didn’t get a chance to talk about their relationship again.”
During a brief cross-examination by the defence, Roux read out statements by Reeva’s friends, stating that she was positive and happy about her relationship with the athlete.
Pistorius will be sentenced for murder after his culpable homicide conviction was overturned by the Supreme Court of Appeal last year. The Paralympian shot dead his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp when he thought she was an intruder.
In his closing argument, Roux referred to a similar case by former Springbok player Vleis Visagie, who accidentally shot and killed his own daughter, also believing she was an intruder.
“He (Visagie) was never prosecuted. The matter was handled with emotion and not objective facts.”
Roux further argued that Pistorius was already tried by the public and the media, and that a perception was created that he wanted to kill Steenkamp.
“It does not go away. Punishment must have a rational purpose. Sending him to jail will only further break him and serve the purpose as retribution. He has paid physically by losing his health. He has paid emotionally. He’s a broken man filled with self-loathing.”
Nel however said the court’s duty was to sentence fearlessly even if the sentence does not satisfy the public.
He reiterated that Pistorius had intention to shoot the person behind the door, whether it was an intruder or not.
“When he thought there was an intruder, he armed himself with a high-calibre firearm, screamed at the intruder to get out of his house, and proceeded forward to the bathroom where he fired four shots. He was aware that there was someone in the toilet. He intentionally killed the deceased.”
In conclusion, Nel told Masipa that the state requests Pistorius to serve a minimum of 15 years in prison.
He also bid for the gruesome photographs of Reeva Steenkamp’s body be available to the public, as requested by Reeva’s father, Barry Steenkamp, on Tuesday.
The state was pursuing a 15 year sentence after Pistorius shot dead his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day in 2013.
He was convicted of murder after the Supreme Court of Appeals overturned his culpable homicide conviction which was found by Judge Thokozile Masipa.
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