Oscar Pistorius plans to appeal murder conviction

The state appealed against the culpable homicide conviction against Pistorius, arguing that he should have been convicted for murder.

Last week the supreme court of appeal found him guilty of murder for the killing of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, overturning a previous conviction for culpable homicide. He suggested that any movements by Pistorius be restricted with electronic monitoring to a 10-kilometer (6-mile) radius around his uncle’s home, where he is under house arrest.

He faces a minimum 15-year jail sentence for murder, although the term could be shorter due to mitigating factors such being a first-time offender.

“If he is given bail, it may come with different conditions perhaps not as stringent as house arrest”, criminal lawyer Martin Hood told AFP.

The former track star’s lawyer did not say on what basis he would be appealing the murder conviction at the Constitutional Court, South Africa’s highest court.

While sentencing argument dates were expected to be set today, it’s understood that the new appeal will put this process on hold until it’s completed.

Pistorius was originally sentenced to five years in prison.

Paralympic gold medalist should have foreseen that his firing of a gun would have killed whoever was behind the door in his bathroom, regardless of whether he thought it was Steenkamp or an intruder. News storiesdisplayed here appear in our category for global and are licensed via a specific agreement between LongIsland.comand The Associated Press, the world’s oldest and largest news organization. For the protection of AP and its licensors, content may not be copied, altered orredistributed in any form.