Convicted murderer Pistorius gets R10k bail, seeks new appeal in ConCourt

PRETORIA, Dec 8 (Reuters) – A South African court on Tuesday granted bail to paralympian Oscar Pistorius after he was convicted of murder for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day 2013, with the judge saying the athlete did not pose a flight risk.

The Supreme Court last Thursday upgraded the 29-year-old athlete’s sentence to murder from culpable homicide, South Africa’s equivalent of manslaughter, for which he had received a five-year sentence.

Oscar Pistorius (2nd R) leaves the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria, South Africa after his bail hearing, December 8, 2015. REUTERS/Sydney Seshibedi
Oscar Pistorius (2nd R) leaves the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria, South Africa after his bail hearing, December 8, 2015. REUTERS/Sydney Seshibedi

Known as “Blade Runner” because of the carbon fibre prosthetic blades he used to race, Pistorius now faces a minimum 15-year jail sentence for murdering his girlfriend. A new sentence will be handed down at a later date.

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From Bloomberg

By Gordon Bell

(Bloomberg) — Oscar Pistorius was granted 10,000 rand ($688) bail following his conviction for the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day two years ago.

Pistorius, 29, will seek to appeal his murder conviction at the Constitutional Court, defense lawyer Barry Roux told the High Court in Pretoria, the capital, on Tuesday. If that fails he could face a 15-year jail term. Prosecutor Gerrie Nel said that while the state accepted his right to appeal, there was no basis for a successful legal challenge.

As Pistorius stood in court, Judge Aubrey Ledwaba told him that under the bail conditions, he must remain under house arrest where he has been serving part of his previous five-year sentence for culpable homicide since October, be subject to electronic monitoring and be banned for traveling more than 20 kilometers (12 miles) from his uncle’s home. He will next return to court in April 18 to provide an update on his Constitutional Court appeal.

Read also: Rob Opie: The real reasons Oscar Pistorius, Tiger Woods went from hero to zero

South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal overturned the manslaughter verdict on Dec. 3 that a High Court judge handed down in October last year. Pistorius shot Steenkamp with four hollow-point bullets in his bathroom.

Since the shooting on February 14, 2013, Pistorius lost sponsorship deals with companies including Nike Inc., Luxottica Group SpA’s Oakley and Ossur hf. After an eight-month trial and several appeals, he can’t afford bail of more than 10,000 rand, Roux said.

Known as the Blade Runner because of his J-shaped prosthetic blades, Pistorius won six Paralympic gold medals and was the first double-amputee runner to compete at the Olympic Games. He was born without fibula in both legs, which were amputated when he was 11 months old.

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