The court handed down the minimum 15-year sentence prescribed for murder in South Africa, and subtracted the years Pistorius had already served. Steenkamp's family, who were not in court for the ruling, welcomed the sentence and said it showed justice could prevail in South Africa. They just feel that their trust in the justice system has been confirmed this morning," Tania Koen, a family spokeswoman, told Reuters. That conviction was increased to murder by the Supreme Court in December 2015 and his sentence was increased to six years by trial judge Thokozile Masipa. Defence lawyer Barry Roux had told the court at the appeals hearing that Pistorius did not deliberately kill model and law graduate Steenkamp and the appeal should be thrown out.

Source: bd News24 November 24, 2017 09:45 UTC