Oscar Pistorius verdict changes to murder after South African appeals court

South Africa’s top appeals court has overturned a lesser judgement and convicted superstar athlete Oscar Pistorius of murder – agreeing with prosecutors who say he meant to kill when he shot dead his girlfriend. The Supremes Court of Appeal decided Thursday that a lower court’s reading of that was faulty and overturned its manslaughter conviction against the athlete, convicting him of murder.

According to Reuters, Pistorius should be spending at least 15 years in prison as that is the minimum sentence in South Africa.

Despite the appeal court’s ruling that Judge Masipa erred in her judgment, Judge Leach praised her for her “dignity and patience” in her conduct of the lengthy trial in the full glare of live television coverage.

Pistorius, whose lower legs were amputated when he was a baby, denies deliberately killing Steenkamp, saying he mistook her for an intruder at his home.

It was “common sense” that Pistorius must have known he was carrying out a potentially lethal act that “gambled with life” when he fired his gun through the closed toilet door, [Leach] said.

Pistorius was released under house arrest on October 19 after serving less than a year of his original sentence, in line with South African guidelines that say non-dangerous prisoners should spend only one-sixth of a custodial sentence behind bars.

Today, Justice Eric Leach upgraded the conviction to murder after detailing the case and his reasons why he can not accept Pistorius’s version of events.

“We have to convince the court that we are dealing with errors of law”, chief state prosecutor Gerrie Nel said.

“The South African court is in recess right now, that’s for the holiday period”, Pistorius’ family spokesperson Anneliese Burgess said.

Sky’s Alex Crawford, at the court, said the sentencing hearing could turn into a “mini trial” with Pistorius’ lawyers allowed to plead mitigating circumstances.

He said that the sprinter “never offered an acceptable explanation for” shooting Steenkamp through a bathroom door in his home.

It is also unlikely that advertisers would want to sponsor him, as the Pistorius brand is now tainted.

But Ms Steenkamp’s mother, June, was present and afterwards she was seen outside the court being embraced by members of the African National Congress Women’s League, who were singing songs of celebration.

“I trust those dear to her will forgive me if I refer to Miss Steenkamp at times by her given name of Reeva; to emphasise her identity”.

Legal expert Mannie Witz told that there don’t seem to be any reasons for this kind of appeal.

“She was a joy in our life and that has gone out”.