Oscar Pistorius sentenced to five years in prison over culpable homicide

Oscar Pistorius has today been sentenced to five years in prison for the death of Reeva Steenkamp, as his seven month trial finally came to a conclusion. The South African athlete was sentenced at Pretoria’s High Court for the killing of his girlfriend Ms Steenkamp, after being cleared of murder but convicted of culpable homicide. In her sentencing, Judge Masipa ruled a non-custodial sentence would send the wrong sentence to the community, but a long sentence would not be appropriate because it would appear to lack mercy.