South African authorities deny issuing arrest warrant for Pistorius

The arrest warrant comes a day after the South African Supreme Court convicted the 29-year-old athlete of murder on appeal.

We are trying to bring Oscar Pistorius before court urgently for sentencing, after he was convicted of murder, said the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) on Friday.

He had originally received a five-year sentence but will now be re-sentenced and sent back to jail for killing his girlfriend.

Legal sources in South Africa say that Pistorius could be out of jail in just three years – despite his sentence.

Journalists wait outside the home of Oscar Pistorius’ uncle Arnold Pistorius in Pretoria Decembe … The Pistorius family has said attorneys will provide advice on legal options.

Sentencing is up to the North Gauteng High Court, where Pistorius was tried.

“A young man overcomes huge physical disabilities to reach Olympian heights as an athlete”.

Justice Leach said regardless of who might have been behind the door, Pistorius should have known someone could be killed if he fired.

The South Africa Supreme Court of Appeal ruled that the lower court did not take into the consideration the rule of “dolus eventualis”, which is where a person knows that a death would be a likely outcome of their actions.

He said during their discussions on the matter, the issue of Pistorius applying for bail arose, but the decision ultimately rested with the judge president.

The appeal court said the concept had been incorrectly applied by Judge Masipa in the original trial.

Pistorius shot Steenkamp through the door of a toilet cubicle at his home on Valentine’s Day 2013.

Many South Africans have applauded the court’s decision on social media, saying justice has now been served for Reeva Steenkamp. Steenkamp’s father Barry welcomed the verdict with a sigh of relief and later broke down into tears.

“I wanted respect for my daughter’s life, and that’s what I got”, Reeva’s mother June Steenkamp, who was in court, told U.S. television shortly after the unanimous ruling by five appeal judges. I don’t think he will be able to handle it.