Oscar Pistorius - 6 years for murder

[Ginger]

However it has been proven, he was found guilty. The question here is not about his guilt it's the length of his punishment. He murdered someone and found guilty of it and in my eyes should be in prison for the rest of his natural life not 4-6 years..

Hullo Geddy:

I fully agree that since he was convicted, he ought to serve the full sentence. I think the sentence he received was due to doubts about his guilt. The court wanted to split the difference, as it were, disregarding the law as they did so.

[Billiou]

Evidently in South Africa they will let you out after serving 1/6 of your sentence. This is why he was released after only 12 months for the original sentence.
Presumably he will once again only serve one year in prison and get to spend the rest of his time in his uncle's mansion under "house detention".
I also notice it was the SAME judge that gave him this 6 year sentence that gave him the original sentence, and I wonder why, in my opinion, she is seemingly so sympathetic towards a murderer and insults the life of the victim by handing out such slack sentences.
I also wonder what have happened to a black man who does the same thing?

[GUT]

Evidently in South Africa they will let you out after serving 1/6 of your sentence. This is why he was released after only 12 months for the original sentence.
Presumably he will once again only serve one year in prison and get to spend the rest of his time in his uncle's mansion under "house detention".
I also notice it was the SAME judge that gave him this 6 year sentence that gave him the original sentence, and I wonder why, in my opinion, she is seemingly so sympathetic towards a murderer and insults the life of the victim by handing out such slack sentences.
I also wonder what have happened to a black man who does the same thing?

But he has already served the one year, it seems to me that he actually got 12 to 15 years. As 12 in SA means serving 2. So if he has served 1-1 1/2 already, plus 1 on his new 6, means serving 2 1/2 which is 15.

[Shaggyrand]

Hullo Geddy:

I fully agree that since he was convicted, he ought to serve the full sentence. I think the sentence he received was due to doubts about his guilt. The court wanted to split the difference, as it were, disregarding the law as they did so.

Enough to justify tossing out the legally mandated minimum sentence? If there was that much doubt to his guilt how could you justify finding him guilty of murder on an appeal? No, if there was that much doubt they would have just let the manslaughter verdict stand at the very least. The only extenuating circumstances were he is rich and famous.
Hell, he will probably be competing again in 2020.

[Bridewell]

Hi Caz:

Perhaps it's that I'm an American, but shooting an intruder until you're sure he no longer presents any possible threat seems a very reasonable and prudent course of action to me. If the intruder dies as a result, that's his own fault.

The real question is whether he knew that his girlfriend was behind the door. I think he probably did, and I think that he probably planned the murder in advance. "Probably" should not be enough to convict a man, though. I just don't see where the case against him was proven.

Firstly he didn't know there was an intruder, only that there was someone in the toilet. The most likely person for that to be was his girlfriend as the only other occupant of the apartment - yet he didn't check her whereabouts. Did he ask who was in the toilet? Did he shout a warning? He put three or four bullets through the door. That proves the intention to kill whoever was behind the door - and the most likely person for that to be was Reeva. Even if he didn't know who was behind the door (unlikely though that seems) he went way beyond self defence in doing what he did.

[Bridewell]

The judge made an allowance for his "obvious remorse". Personally I didn't see any. I saw self-pity and self-justification - but no remorse for his actions.

[Fleetwood Mac]

Firstly he didn't know there was an intruder, only that there was someone in the toilet. The most likely person for that to be was his girlfriend as the only other occupant of the apartment - yet he didn't check her whereabouts. Did he ask who was in the toilet? Did he shout a warning? He put three or four bullets through the door. That proves the intention to kill whoever was behind the door - and the most likely person for that to be was Reeva. Even if he didn't know who was behind the door (unlikely though that seems) he went way beyond self defence in doing what he did.

Well, in the event I heard a noise from the bathroom, looked over to the other side of the bed and saw my wife/girlfriend wasn't there, I'd think it's a safe bet that she is in the bathroom; and I certainly wouldn't rush to the bathroom, shoot through the door and ask questions later.

He is as guilty as sin and his sentence is outrageous. That is someone's daughter who has just been murdered.

[John Wheat]

Well, in the event I heard a noise from the bathroom, looked over to the other side of the bed and saw my wife/girlfriend wasn't there, I'd think it's a safe bet that she is in the bathroom; and I certainly wouldn't rush to the bathroom, shoot through the door and ask questions later.

He is as guilty as sin and his sentence is outrageous. That is someone's daughter who has just been murdered.

But Oscar Pistorius is a famous disabled athlete surely the law shouldn't apply to them?

[caz]

Firstly he didn't know there was an intruder, only that there was someone in the toilet. The most likely person for that to be was his girlfriend as the only other occupant of the apartment - yet he didn't check her whereabouts. Did he ask who was in the toilet? Did he shout a warning? He put three or four bullets through the door. That proves the intention to kill whoever was behind the door - and the most likely person for that to be was Reeva. Even if he didn't know who was behind the door (unlikely though that seems) he went way beyond self defence in doing what he did.

The judge made an allowance for his "obvious remorse". Personally I didn't see any. I saw self-pity and self-justification - but no remorse for his actions.

Well said, Colin. You'd think he'd be beside himself with grief and guilt for the rest of his life, and would fully expect to be punished for it, having so carelessly and recklessly taken his girlfriend's life.

His intruder story stands up about as well as he does without his artificial legs. What noise could he possibly have heard coming from Reeva in the bathroom, which would have caused him to presume it was an intruder, get out of bed and take a gun and a cricket bat to go on the attack, without even thinking to check she was safely in bed beside him first? Trying the door he would have found it locked. Why would Reeva have needed to lock herself in when using the loo at night? Just closing the door would have let Oscar know she was in there if he woke and wanted the loo at the same time. Why would an intruder have locked the door if he was armed and his sole purpose was to enter the apartment and commit some crime? It seems beyond reasonable doubt that Reeva had fled to the loo and locked the door against a raging Oscar, rightfully fearing for her life. This would have done nothing to improve his temper.

Love,

Caz
X

[Caligo Umbrator]

It looks like this might not be quite over for Oscar just yet.

I have just read that the South African National Prosecuting Authority have said in a statement that “The sentence of six years imprisonment, in all the circumstances, is disproportionate to the crime of murder committed [and] shockingly too lenient”. "[the sentence is] an injustice and has the potential to bring the administration of justice into disrepute”.
Sometime today the prosecutors will be filing appeal papers with the aim of extending the sentence of six years that Pistorius received.

Yours, Caligo

[GUT]

It looks like this might not be quite over for Oscar just yet.

I have just read that the South African National Prosecuting Authority have said in a statement that “The sentence of six years imprisonment, in all the circumstances, is disproportionate to the crime of murder committed [and] shockingly too lenient”. "[the sentence is] an injustice and has the potential to bring the administration of justice into disrepute”.
Sometime today the prosecutors will be filing appeal papers with the aim of extending the sentence of six years that Pistorius received.

Yours, Caligo

Not really a surprise.

But then I know almost nothing about SA law.