Supreme Court of Appeal to make ruling on Pistorius case

Oscar Pistorius will find out later today if he has to go back to prison when the Supreme Court announces if his conviction has been changed from manslaughter to murder.

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel argued that Pistorius was guilty of murder because he must have known that he would kill someone when he fired through the toilet door.

Supreme Court of Appeal Judge Eric Leach began reading the judgment in the case against former paralympian Oscar Pistorius on Thursday morning.

The runner is now under house arrest at his uncle’s home in Pretoria after serving less than a year in prison for killing his girlfriend on Valentine’s Day 2013.

Masipa’s judgment ruled out murder because she was convinced by the testimony of Pistorius that he “genuinely believed” there was an intruder in his home, according to Barry Roux, who is leading the defence.

State prosecutors who lodged the appeal say Pistorius meant to kill Steenkamp and that she fled to a toilet during a row.

The state was seeking an appeal on the conviction, claiming the judge misinterpreted the law of dolus eventualis.

Pistorius, a multiple Paralympic champion, became one of the world’s most famous athletes and the first amputee to run at the Olympics and the able-bodied world championships.